Home Office denies ‘absurd’ criticism over rule change that may leave dual nationals stranded

The Home Office has dismissed as “absurd” claims that it failed to properly communicate new border rules that left some British dual nationals at risk of being prevented from boarding flights to the UK.During a heated session in parliament on Wednesday, the Home Office minister Mike Tapp suggested that media coverage in the Guardian and BBC reflected the department’s efforts to publicise the changes.The Labour backbencher Kerry McCarthy described how two of her constituents feared being stranded on their honeymoon because of the new requirements, which came into force on Wednesday.Under the changes, British dual nationals must present a valid or expired British passport, or a £589 certificate of entitlement, to prove their right of abode before boarding a plane, ferry or train to the UK.“They don’t know if they can actually get back into the UK from [their] honeymoon,” McCarthy said

Polls open in Gorton and Denton byelection amid three-way battle between Greens, Labour and Reform

The polls have opened in the three-way battle for Gorton and Denton in south-east Manchester in one of the most unpredictable byelections in years.The Green party leader Zack Polanski said his party was “neck and neck” with Reform UK to overturn Labour’s 13,000-vote majority, and that Labour will need to “search their conscience” if Reform UK wins.Keir Starmer’s party has targeted left-leaning voters in the Greater Manchester seat with claims that only Labour can see off Nigel Farage’s Reform, saying that a vote for the Greens was “in effect, a vote for Reform”.Labour’s strategy of claiming the Greens cannot win has echoes of the disastrous Caerphilly byelection in October, which the party lost to Plaid Cymru despite telling voters repeatedly: “Only Labour can beat Reform.”Speaking ahead of polls opening at 7am on Thursday, Polanski accused Labour of deliberately splitting the left vote because a Green victory would be “existential” for Starmer

What a Gorton byelection win would mean for Reform, Greens and Labour

The Gorton and Denton byelection is the biggest electoral test yet for Keir Starmer before what are expected to be disastrous results for Labour in the May local elections. Polls put the race in a three-way dead heat, making it nearly impossible to call.The vote is particularly symbolic because of the threat Labour faces from Reform UK and the Green party in a once safe seat. Should Labour lose, it will put the spotlight back on Starmer’s decision to block Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, from contesting the seat.There are big implications for Starmer’s premiership, whatever the result, but also for the wider political landscape

Michael Collins obituary

My friend and former colleague Mike Collins, who has died aged 92, devoted most of his working life to teaching planning practice to students at University College London. He joined the Bartlett School of Planning at UCL in 1964 and spent the rest of his time there, including 20 years as its director of studies.Mike was born in Dagenham, Essex (now east London), to Thomas, a finance director, and his wife, Bessie (nee Fisher), a nurse. After attending Dartford grammar school in Kent he gained a degree in geography at Nottingham University before joining the town planning division of the architects’ department of London county council in 1956, working mainly on drawing up development plans for the LCC.Once he had switched to UCL he participated in many government funded research projects, often focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of the statutory planning system when faced with complex problems

Zero hour: Corbyn and Sultana duke it out in battle for the soul of Your Party

An increasingly bloody battle for the soul of the leftwing Your Party set up by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana will come to a conclusion on Thursday, when the results of its leadership election will be announced.After almost eight months of public spats, rows over money, accusations of sexism and rifts over policy and direction, Your Party is hoping to turn a page on the manifold misfortunes that have beset it since its launch last year.“The future of the party lies in the balance,” said one Corbyn-allied insider. “You have two fundamentally differing visions of the party and what it is for.”Earlier this month, a Your Party event at the Missing Sock, a hotel and venue in Cambridge, was packed

Reeves must back defence investment plan or be sacked, says Unite union boss

The head of Britain’s largest trade union has demanded that Rachel Reeves be sacked as chancellor if the Treasury continues to hold up a multibillion-pound defence investment plan.Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, said tens of thousands of jobs were at risk from political dithering and called on ministers to “back British industry” by signing off on future defence contracts.“If Rachel Reeves can’t grasp that concept and doesn’t care where things are made then she should go,” Graham said “Actually, you have to have a vision for Britain. You can’t just be in government, you can’t just say today’s a new day.”She also called on Keir Starmer “to do what he said he would do” after the prime minister promised in February last year to increase annual spending on the military to 2