Why Britain’s foreign secretary could be fined Rs 3 lakh for fishing with JD Vance

The UK’s Foreign Secretary is in trouble. And it is all over fishing.

David Lammy has referred himself to the Environment Agency – the UK’s environmental watchdog.

But what happened? Why is Lammy in trouble?

Let’s take a closer look:

What happened?

Lammy last week played host to US Vice-President JD Vance, who is on a private holiday to the United Kingdom along with his wife Usha and three children. Lammy and Vance met at the Chevening House in Kent where they discussed Gaza and other international affairs.

Chevening House is a Palladian mansion and gardens that is used as a country retreat by Foreign Secretaries. It sits on a vast 3,000 acre estate that includes a lake and a maze. Vance also met Conservative MPs Robert Jenrick and Chris Philp and Reform leader Nigel Farage.

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So, what’s the problem? Photos of Lammy and Vance fishing at the property’s private lake emerged. Unfortunately, it turns out that Lammy did not have the appropriate fishing licence. In England and Wales, all fishermen above 13 must apply for a rod licence to catch freshwater species like carp. A one-day licence to catch fish costs around $10 (Rs 875).

The UK Foreign Office said this was an “administrative oversight.” Lammy said he had bought the licences as soon as he discovered the error. He said he wrote to the Environment Agency to report himself. “He also thanked them for their work protecting Britain’s fisheries,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said. Lammy now faces a fine of up to $3400 (Rs 3 lakh).

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Vance has hailed Lammy as a “good friend” and “very, very gracious host”. He also noted that his children caught fish while Lammy did not. He joked that this was “unfortunately the one strain on the special relationship.” The fish were later returned to the lake.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Everyone who goes fishing needs a licence to help improve our rivers, lakes and the sport anglers love.

“We understand the relevant licences have been purchased.”

Labour has dismissed the story. A party source told the Sun newspaper, “There’s nothing fishy to see here. The foreign secretary isn’t much of a fisherman but he landed a big diplomatic catch getting the vice president to stay for the weekend at Chevening”.

Chevening House

The estate has a long and storied history.  It was home to earls and aristocrats for nearly 250 years before being gifted to the state by the 7th Earl of Kent.

It comprises 3,000 acres stretching between Sevenoaks and Biggin Hill in Kent. Its gardens alone comprise 40 acres and include a lake, maze, parterre and a double hexagonal walled kitchen garden. It is also surrounded by 500 acres of woodland.

This is in the first time it has been in the middle of controversy.

In 1999, the then Labour foreign secretary Robin Cook invited scandal after his ex-wife Margaret slammed him for taking his current wife Gaynor Regan to the estate.

Regan had been Cook’s mistress during his marriage to Margaret. Margaret in her memoir claimed Cook was a womaniser and a drunk.

The estate again found itself amidst a row in 2020. At this time, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was spending time at Chevening with his then girlfriend Carrie Symonds. Johnson, fresh off a divorce from his wife Marina, was said to have missed multiple meetings during his time at Chevening.

An Italian diplomat is also have said to have become mired in Chevening’s maze. The diplomat, who was said to have been in a dark blue designer suit and Gucci loafers, was said to have lost his way in the maze for over an hour. He was discovered with his clothes torn and his shoes ruined.

Protests greet Vance

Vance's working holiday with his family has been met with protests from locals. He is currently in the hamlet of Dean in Oxfordshire, in the picturesque Cotswolds.

“It’s a massive intrusion and it’s not just the fact our lives are disrupted but it’s who he is,” said Jonathan Mazower, the head of communications for NGO Survival International, who owns one of Dean’s 15 homes.

“I feel and many others feel we can’t allow someone like that to come into our village and not say something publicly against it.”

Long a destination of the British elite, former British Prime Minister David Cameron lives in Dean, the Cotswolds is also becoming increasingly popular with wealthy Americans, some of whom moved to the region following the election win of President Donald Trump last year. TV personality Ellen DeGeneres has cited the election result as the reason behind her full-time relocation to the area.

With inputs from agencies