My son applied for one a couple of weeks ago. His expires in July. He's not going anywhere, at least not abroad, but he is going to Cornwall (which some define as Not England) to university in September, and they, it seems, need his passport as ID. I think it was the university itself, rather than UCAS or @#~£$! Student Finance. But anyway, first his photo was deemed unsuitable due to "uneven lighting". Then, because he is Erewhonian, they needed to see his
FOREIGN passport. Apparently they need to check the names are the same...
Whereas they promptly acknowledged receipt of about-to-expire
BRITISH passport, they have not done so for
FOREIGN passport. He's now convinced they've impounded it and put him on a list for MI5. And all to go to Cornwall.
All passports mentioned above are
burgundy funny shade of red.