General Chat

Yesterday the Prime Minister David Cameron said that up to 30,000 passport applications have been hit by delays, other sources say it is a much higher figure, we will never get to know the true figure, whatever the true figure is, it is obvious that something has gone wrong.

As far as the government is concerned, it is all the fault of "Joe Public" as too many people are making passport applications. The delays have nothing to do with government cuts, the closure of local passport offices, nor has it anything to do with overseas passport applications being transferred to the Passport Office in the UK.

The problems at The Passport Office are the latest in a long list of fiascoes to hit government departments, and we are asked to believe that no one in government is responsible for these failures.

I can remember when something went seriously wrong in a government department, the minister responsible for that department fell on their sword - alas it appears those days have long since gone.

Have you had a problem applying for a passport or renewing your passport?

It has been announced that those whose travel is urgent or imminent can have their applications fast-tracked for free.

It all looks highly suspicious to me can’t believe that it’s just because the economy is doing “so well” that everyone is suddenly booking holidays abroad.

Much more likely that criminals are flooding the office with applications, many may well be from people like us we let our passports expire a couple of years back and have not bothered to renew. I just wonder if when we do apply, we will find that we have done so already. :-0 :-0 :-S

The whole thing stinks in my opinion, thank goodness the reduced security checks were reversed, well that’s what they are telling us anyway :-|

Mayfield - it is not the first time something has left a smell, I can think of several issues - such as:-

1) The fiasco at the Department of the Environment over flooding
2) The fiasco at the The Department of Energy & Climate Change over energy prices
3) The fiasco at the The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills over the sale of Royal Mail
4) The fiasco at the The Department of Education & The Home Office over extremism in schools
5) The fiasco at the Ministry of Defence over recruitment to the armed forces
6) The fiasco fiasco at the Department of Works & Pensions over the Universal Credit system.

No government minister or their department has accepted any blame for these, it is always "it wasn't me - it was someone else"

When I listen to government ministers defending these fiascoes, I am reminded of the quote by the author John Burroughs - "A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else" ;-)

I would just comment that you are right, OFITG. That it is very rarely that anyone gets punished or loses their job now. It is often the fault of a junior civil servant or a new computer system.

And politicians really only have to account to their employers (ie you and me) every 5 years. You will see a lot of attention coming our way in next 11 months - and a lot fewer mistakes coming to light.

We will vote Labour in the Rhondda. By an overwhelming majority. That should shake this Tory led government to the core. I think though that your constituency may be even more important than mine in gauging national mood. :-) ;-)

Its all them migrants from the EU that can now afford a holiday in warmer climes and need a passport where they didnt before.,plus all the extras for the children they may have had in GB.thats one I've heard this morning.


On the other hand it maybe a ploy to extract more cash for the coffers.
:-D :-D :-D :-D.

A lapse in security measures may be regretted in time. :-)

Like most Government Departments,When Failing,the Lower Echelons get the blame.The MPs in charge cannot accept that most of them " the people responsible" are "Unfit for Purpose" :-(

My brother applied for a replacement passport about 6 weeks ago to the Liverpool Office, his dog ate half of the old one. He filled in relevant forms correctly and waited, returning the chewed one as requested.

Over 4 weeks later he had a letter from them asking...could he please explain in writing the events surrounding his damaged passport :-0

How many ways is there to explain a dog chewing his passport..they had the evidence in front of them!

Then and only then would they CONSIDER renewing....he was livid..trying to contact them was a nightmare. He was due to go to his Army reunion in Germany and when he finally spoke to someone they more or less said no chance he would get it before travel date!

He got straight on to his local MP and am sure he said Teresa May....they got it sorted...and he is in Germany now :-D

**Ann** pleased to read that your brother got things sorted out and managed to attend his army reunion in Germany.

I am concerned about the security implications of some of the measures they are putting in place to try and resolve this issue as I think the backlog of applications is far larger than the government is admitting - but we will never know the truth.

Methinks that in the light of this fiasco and the recent debacle of the handling of the extremism in schools, ministers will be busy getting as much unpalatable stuff sneaked out the back door while these two item grab the headlines, what is it they say, something about - now would be a good time to bury bad news ;-)

Yes ....bury the bad news indeed :-|

I think what upset my brother so much apart from him possibly missing his reunion, was the word CONSIDER!

Having fought for king & Country so to speak...he very rightly had the hump!