The SNP has called on Keir Starmer to scrap plans to increase UK passport fees, warning the proposed rise will add further pressure to households already facing rising costs.
The Labour government has confirmed it intends to introduce an 8% increase in passport fees from 8th of April, subject to parliamentary approval.
If approved, the cost of a standard adult passport application by post will rise to £115.50, while a child’s passport will increase to £80.
The SNP has said it will vote against the proposal if it is brought before the UK Parliament.
New analysis from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the SNP, shows passport costs have risen sharply over the past decades.
The figures suggest that since 1997 the cost of an adult passport has increased by 542%, rising from £18 to £115.50.
Over a similar period, the cost of a child’s passport has increased by 627%, rising from £11 in 1999 to £80.
The analysis indicates that these increases far exceed both inflation and wage growth over the same timeframe.
It shows wages have risen by 144% over the period, meaning passport costs have increased at around four times the rate of earnings.
If passport fees had increased in line with inflation, an adult passport would cost £33.36 from April, while a child’s passport would cost £21.60.
Under the proposed changes, a family of four would pay £391 for two adult and two child passports.
That figure is roughly equivalent to a full week’s wages for someone earning the minimum wage.
Pete Wishart MP said:
“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.
“Under the Labour government, energy bills are £500 higher than promised, food and fuel prices have gone through the roof, mortgage rates are rising again, UK unemployment is at a five-year high and hard-pressed families are already struggling to get by.
“Keir Starmer is completely out of touch if he thinks households want him to press ahead with more tone-deaf Labour Party price hikes, which will increase the cost of a family holiday and make it more expensive for Scotland fans to travel to the World Cup this summer.
“The SNP will vote against this unacceptable price hike.
“While the Labour Party is making life even harder for families, the SNP is determined to do everything we can to help, which is why we’ve delivered the strongest cost of living support package for households in the UK and will continue to put money back into people’s pockets under John Swinney’s leadership.”
The proposed increase comes at a time when many households are already managing higher living costs across energy, food and housing.
With the change still subject to parliamentary approval, the issue is expected to form part of a wider political debate around affordability and public costs in the months ahead.
Proposed passport fee increases have sparked political debate, with concerns raised over rising costs for families as prices continue to outpace wages and inflation across the UK.
