Lammy faces licensing lapse announced

David Lammy admits an administrative oversight led to fishing without a rod licence during a Chevening House visit with JD Vance.

Lammy faces scrutiny after fishing without licence

David Lammy invited US Vice President JD Vance and his family to Chevening House in Kent for a short hosting visit last week. During the stay they fished on a private lake; fishing rules require a licence for freshwater angling in England and Wales. None of Lammy's party caught any fish, and any catches were released back into the lake.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Environment Agency about an administrative oversight that meant the necessary licences were not acquired for fishing on the private lake as part of a diplomatic engagement. After being alerted, Lammy purchased a fishing licence and notified the Environment Agency of the error. The Environment Agency noted that licences are required to protect rivers, lakes, and the sport anglers love, and said the relevant licences have now been purchased.

Stumbles over small rules can still pull focus from big aims. This episode shows how diplomatic hospitality can collide with everyday compliance, exposing public figures to scrutiny for routine paperwork. While the lapse appears administrative and has been corrected, the optics matter: a private estate used for official diplomacy can invite close public attention to rules that seem minor but are meant to keep public life transparent. The episode also underscores how public officials manage missteps in real time, balancing courtesy with accountability.

Highlights

Diplomacy often hinges on the steadiness of everyday rules as much as on high-level decisions.