In Brexit Britain, Taking Back Control Means the Opposite
Whether it’s blue passports or air travel, the U.K. looks incapable of going it alone.
A statue of Winston Churchill stands against a backdrop of the Elizabeth Tower outside the Houses of Parliament in London.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergPrime Minister Theresa May likes to insist that her Brexit deal means Britain will “take back control” over its borders. But with just three months to go before the U.K. leaves the European Union, the very opposite is happening. Control is being outsourced, not taken back.
The money and skills needed to create Britain’s post-Brexit infrastructure are making the country more, not less, dependent on foreign help. A French company, Gemalto NV, will print the U.K.’s new, patriotic blue passports. Another French business, Sopra Steria, will manage its visa and citizenship program. France’s Vinci SA made it a hat trick with its takeover of Gatwick Airport, through which 45 million people fly every year.