In an embarrassing travel mix-up, two senior Labour MPs, John Healey and David Lammy, found themselves stranded in Darwin, Australia, after being mistakenly booked on flights to the northern city instead of their intended destinations, Sydney and Melbourne.
The shadow defence secretary and shadow foreign secretary were due to meet Australian counterparts as part of a diplomatic mission to strengthen UK-Australia relations. However, their journey was delayed by a day due to the booking error.
Sources close to the MPs described the situation as a "genuine mistake" by travel agents, who confused Darwin with the more commonly visited Australian cities. The pair eventually reached their correct destinations after rebooking flights.
Healey and Lammy took the mishap in good humour, with Lammy joking on social media about the unexpected detour. The Labour Party has not commented on whether the travel agency responsible will face repercussions.
The incident highlights the importance of double-checking travel arrangements, even for high-profile politicians on official business. Both MPs are now continuing their scheduled meetings with Australian officials to discuss defence and foreign policy cooperation between the two nations.
