British citizenship should never be conditional | Letters
Good as it is to know that the Home Office does not intend to take any action to remove Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s citizenship over “abhorrent” past social media posts, the fact that, in limited circumstances, it is an option ought to cause us real concern (Alaa Abd el-Fattah ‘will not be stripped of British citizenship’ over past tweets, 30 December).The recent Institute for Public Policy Research report that 36% of people now think you must be born British to be truly British (Report, 29 December) cannot be separated from the conduct of debates like those around Abd el-Fattah.If, for those who are not white and born in the UK, citizenship is a gift of the state that can be withdrawn, then it’s not citizenship at all but a form of limited leave like any other.Thus Shamima Begum is left to rot in a refugee camp, despite never having been tried for any crime, while the fascist nail bomber David Copeland is serving a sentence in a UK jail.If the Overton window is shifting on this issue, it’s being pushed by the fact that Keir Starmer is “tell[ing] a story about what Britain is and what he wants it to be” (Abd el-Fattah citizenship row shows shift on questions of national identity, 29 December), and it’s one that echoes the rhetoric of Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch.
Labour’s February 2025 policy change establishes a blanket presumption against granting citizenship to anyone who previously entered the UK illegally, regardless of how much time has passed.Moreover, the Deprivation of Citizenship Orders (Effect during Appeal) Act 2025, recently hurried through parliament, represents a fundamental shift in how citizenship deprivation cases are handled during the appeals process.Under the old system, individuals who successfully appealed against their citizenship deprivation had their status restored while government appeals continued.The new act ensures that deprivation orders remain in effect throughout all appeals processes, including any further government appeals to higher courts.This means that individuals stripped of their citizenship would remain non-citizens until every legal avenue has been exhausted.
So long as citizenship remains an absolute right for some, whatever they do, however abhorrent, and a conditional gift for others, the perception that only white British-born people are really citizens will be further entrenched.Nick MossLondon Thank you for Naomi Klein’s thoughtful reflection (Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s tweets were wrong, but he is no ‘anti-white Islamist’.Why does the British right want you to believe he is?, 31 December).I was uncomfortable listening to the shadow home secretary on the BBC refer to him as a “scumbag” repeatedly, despite governments of all hues having fought for his release.I thought such playground name-calling should be beneath a member of the shadow cabinet.
Reading Naomi Klein’s piece reminded me of Abd el-Fattah’s courageous activism and invites us all to judge him on his deeds,To defend only speech with which we agree and not accept Abd el-Fattah’s apology for old, regretted posts is a very slippery slope,Sally MarchLondon Kemi Badenoch has called into question Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s British citizenship on the grounds of his “social media activity, public statements and patterns of belief”,I look forward to her comments on Nigel Farage’s citizenship,Dr Richard CarterPutney, London Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Beau Webster steps off the sidelines into the light as promise of Cameron Green wilts | Geoff Lemon
There was an irony to the fact that Cameron Green’s catch made Beau Webster’s day look even better. Green had not had a good one, having earlier dived in front of Australia’s most prolific slip catcher to spoil a simple Steve Smith catch. It followed a poor day the day before, skying a pull shot after getting settled on 37, and a poor series before that. Then came Webster, an off-break swept into the deep, and Green’s long legs ate up the turf before crashing his body into a dive that gathered up the ball in its fall, the two Australians combining for what might be the tallest wicket in Test history.There is usually only room for a single two-metre all-rounder in a team, unless they’re operating at specialist level in one discipline
Australia v England: fifth Ashes Test, day four – as it happened
Time for me to depart, thanks for your company and comments. Stay tuned for all the wrap up from day four.Join us tomorrow for the final day of the 2025/6 Ashes series. Goodbye and toodle-oo.“Morning Jim, to this very England of mornings
John Harbaugh fired by Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons in charge
The Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons in charge, the team announced on Tuesday.Harbaugh is the most successful coach in the history of the franchise and was the second longest-tenured head coach in the NFL before his dismissal. Ironically, his final game with the Ravens came against the only name ahead of him in terms of tenure length – Mike Tomlin, who has been in charge of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 19 seasons.Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti called the decision “incredibly difficult” in a statement.“Throughout what I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership,” Bisciotti said
Britain’s fragile frontrunners Draper and Raducanu try again to break injury cycles | Tumaini Carayol
From the moment news of Great Britain’s planned team for the United Cup was announced in October, jokes began to fly. On paper, it was a dream. Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu, the top tennis players in the country and figureheads of a new generation, finally united on the same side of the court.However, recent history has shown that things are never straightforward with Britain’s two greatest hopes. Both players have had to navigate injuries and physical problems in their young careers, so to some fans and onlookers the real question was which player would withdraw first
‘I wish I’d faced these poor modern teams’: world’s oldest living Test cricketer on decline in standards
Twenty‑five kilometres north of the SCG, the world’s oldest living Test cricketer is sitting in his La-Z-Boy armchair and watching the Test. Neil Harvey was once the youngest of Bradman’s Invincibles; now he’s 97, his old cricketing buddies gone. His body is a little worn around the edges, but mentally he’s astute.Harvey was Australia’s sweetheart, the second youngest of six brothers, a dashing left-hander, who stalked the covers and hunted at slip. During a 15-year Test career, he cut and shimmied to more than 6,000 runs at an average of 48, making his mark with 153 in his second Test
Majestic Smith passes Hobbs to leave only Bradman clear on top of Ashes mountain | Geoff Lemon
There was a time, while Steve Smith was at the height of his batting prowess, when “best since Bradman” was used with confidence. The thing about that line is that even when the recipient has dominated for years, it gets applied too quickly, given the point of comparison is a career-lasting two decades. Lots of players reach the top for a time, no other has stayed as long. Smith was untouchable for six years before returning to the realm of the merely very good.The combination of those phases, though, took him to a rare position on the third day of the fifth Test in Sydney
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Jacob Bethell plays starring role in Ashes Wars Episode 5: A New Hope | Barney Ronay
Bethell’s elegant first Test century presses pause on Australia’s Ashes party