One British and two foreign firms were shortlisted for the contract to make the new passports

It was supposed to be a defining symbol of Britain’s identity post-Brexit — traditional, blue and embossed with a proud lion and unicorn crest.

But it has emerged the new British passport could be designed and made by a European company after two foreign firms were shortlisted for the £490m contract.

Insiders say the companies, believed to be French and German, will battle it out with the British private security company De La Rue to win the contract to produce 6m passports a year.

The Home Office is expected to announce the winner before Christmas.

The prospect of a European Union company winning the contract has left some Eurosceptic MPs seeing red. They were counting the days before ditching the burgundy-covered document introduced in 1988