Potrait of the week | 28 July 2012

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The nation was divided between those who moaned about the Olympic Games and those who didn’t. Some immigration staff decided to hold a strike, then called it off an hour before the government was due to go to court to seek an injunction against it. Another 1,200 troops joined the 3,500 deployed to cover security deficiencies. Campanologists agreed to ring bells across the land at 8.12 a.m. on 27 July. Boris Johnson recited an ode composed in ancient Greek that in English ended: ‘Now welcome to this sea­-girt land,/ With London’s Mayor and Co at hand./ Good luck to all who strive to win:/ Applaud, and let the Games begin!’ Bradley Wiggins became the first Englishman to win the Tour de France bicycle race. Dairy farmers protested about the low prices they got for their milk; a draft agreement on a voluntary code of practice was signed by representatives of farmers and processors, but the NFU said it did not solve the crisis.

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David Gauke, a Treasury minister said that paying tradesmen cash in hand was ‘morally wrong’. The government proposed making finance companies disclose details of clients who took advantage of legal but aggressive tax avoidance schemes. Gross domestic product fell by 0.7 per cent in the second quarter. The Commons home affairs committee complained that the UK Border Agency had a backlog of more than 275,000 failed migrants to be removed from the country. Hundreds of tons of rock fell from a cliff on to a woman on Hive Beach, Burton Bradstock, Dorset.

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The British Foreign Office persuaded the European Union to lift sanctions against most top Zimbabwe officials if the country holds a referendum on a new constitution.