David Lammy broke law during fishing trip with JD Vance due to one farcical reason

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has been caught breaking the law as he posed next to JD Vance on a fishing trip during the vice president's UK visit. Mr Lammy was snapped enjoying Mr Vance's company at his grace-and-favour mansion at Chevening, Kent.

The pair went fishing at the 3,000-acre estate's private lake, with Mr Vance quipping that the activity had put "a stain on the special relationship" because Mr Lammy failed to capture any passing fish. However, the Foreign Secretary now faces embarrassment, as it emerged he did not have a fishing licence at the time of the activity. A rod licence is a requirement in England and Wales on both public and private land.

Fishing without one, if caught by the Environment Agency, can land the criminal with a fine of up to £2,500.

Mr Lammy has since purchased a licence and turned himself into the environmental quango, owning up to an "oversight".

A spokesman for the Foreign Secretary said: "The Foreign Secretary has written to the Environment Agency over an administrative oversight that meant the appropriate licences had not been acquired for fishing on a private lake as part of a diplomatic engagement at Chevening House last week.

"As soon as the Foreign Secretary was made aware of the administrative error, he successfully purchased the relevant rod fishing licences.

"He also wrote to the Environment Agency notifying them of the error, demonstrating how it would be rectified, and thanking them for their work protecting Britain's fisheries."

A Labour source told The Sun: "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.

"As soon as he learned of the administrative error, he got the relevant licences and notified the Environment Agency to avoid getting caught up."

Official government guidance warns: "You must have a rod fishing licence for England and Wales if you're fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel with a rod and line in: England (except the River Tweed); Wales; the Border Esk region, including the parts of the river that are in Scotland.

"This includes if you are fishing on private land, such as angling club waters or private fishing lakes.

"You must follow national and local rod fishing byelaws when freshwater fishing with a rod and line in England and Wales."

While the faux pas poses a major legal headache for Mr Lammy, it also risks accusations of political hypocrisy.

The Foreign Secretary publicly tore into former prime Minister Boris Johnson for breaking the law, accusing him of "obliterating decency and integrity from public life".

In another 2022 post to Facebook, Mr Lammy said: "Criminality and lies at the heart of government. Led by the prime minister and the chancellor.

"Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak must resign now for breaking the laws they enforced on us all."