SNP Demands Starmer Cancel Passport Price Increase
The Scottish National Party has issued a direct plea to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, urging him to scrap controversial plans to increase passport application fees by 8%. The proposed hike would see costs rise to over £100 for adults, a move the SNP describes as "hammering" families during an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Substantial Fee Increases Proposed
Under the Home Office proposals scheduled for implementation on April 8, significant price increases would affect both online and postal applications. For adults applying online, the fee would jump from £94.50 to £102, while child applications would increase from £61.50 to £66.50. Postal applications face even steeper costs, with adult fees rising from £107 to £115.50 and child applications increasing from £74 to £80.
The SNP has confirmed it will vote against these proposals in Parliament, arguing they represent an unacceptable burden on households already struggling with rising living costs.
Historical Context Reveals Dramatic Increases
Analysis commissioned by the SNP from the House of Commons Library reveals the dramatic escalation of passport costs over recent decades. Since 1997, the price of a standard adult passport by post has increased by an astonishing 542%, rising from just £18 to the proposed £115.50. Child passport costs have seen even more dramatic growth, increasing by 627% since 1999 from £11 to £80.
This stands in stark contrast to wage growth during the same period, which has increased by only 144%. According to the analysis, if passport fees had simply tracked inflation rather than exceeding it, current costs would be substantially lower - approximately £33.36 for adults and £21.60 for children.
Impact on Families and Households
The practical implications for families are significant. A family of four requiring two adult and two children's passports would face a total cost of £391 under the new proposals. This represents approximately one week's wages for someone earning minimum wage, creating a substantial barrier to international travel for many households.
SNP MP Pete Wishart, representing Perth and Kinross-shire, delivered a scathing assessment of the proposed increases. "The Labour Party must not hammer families with another massive, inflation-busting hike in passport fees when the cost of living is already soaring on Keir Starmer's watch," he stated.
Wishart highlighted multiple economic pressures facing households, including energy bills £500 higher than promised, escalating food and fuel prices, rising mortgage rates, and unemployment at a five-year high. He argued that proceeding with passport fee increases would demonstrate a profound disconnect from the realities facing ordinary families.
Political and Practical Implications
The timing of these proposed increases has drawn particular criticism, coinciding with both ongoing economic pressures and upcoming international events. Wishart noted the additional burden this would place on Scottish football fans hoping to travel to the World Cup this summer, as well as families planning holidays abroad.
While the SNP positions itself as opposing these increases and promoting cost-of-living support measures, the Home Office has defended the proposals as necessary for financial sustainability. A spokesperson explained that the government makes no profit from passport applications and that the increased fees would help reduce reliance on general taxation by ensuring the system is funded primarily by those who use it.
The spokesperson emphasized that the 8% increase applies consistently across both online and postal applications, maintaining that this approach supports a fair distribution of costs.
As the April 8 implementation date approaches, the political battle over passport fees continues to intensify, with the SNP positioning itself in direct opposition to Labour's proposals while advocating for greater financial support for struggling households across the United Kingdom.
