Portrait of the week: Starmer’s EU deal, Lineker’s BBC departure and an outbreak of camel flu

Home

Sir Keir Starmer was joined by EU representatives in London to celebrate new agreements with the bloc. EU access to British fishing grounds would now be in place until 2038, but it would be easier to export fish from Britain. The government said agreements on food exports and energy trade would benefit Britain by £8.9 billion a year by 2040 – 0.3 per cent of GDP. The government emphasised a defence and security pact and gave a lunch aboard the frigate HMS Sutherland. Use of e-gates by British travellers would in future be decided by each EU state. A youth mobility scheme transmogrified into a youth experience scheme and remained to be agreed. Richard Tice of Reform UK said: ‘It’s a huge betrayal; it’s surrender on steroids.’ Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, also used the word ‘betrayal’.

Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, was reported by the Telegraph to have pressed for tax rises on savers, by measures such as reinstating the lifetime pension allowance limit. Inflation rose from 2.6 to 3.5 per cent. GDP grew by 0.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. Thames Water decided to ‘pause’ its scheme to pay out big ‘retention’ payments to senior executives. Gary Lineker was to leave the BBC without a payoff on 25 May. One in ten adults have no savings, according to the Financial Conduct Authority. Westminster council ordered the owner of a house in Mayfair to refill a sub-basement housing a cinema, gym and sauna, excavated without planning permission.