THE LEOPARD MAN OF SKYE Why can’t England play football? The scientist who solved a million crimes OBITUARIES P43 SPORT P22 LAST WORD P52 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR THE WEEK JULY 2016 | ISSUE 1080 | £3.30 THE BEST OF THE BRITISH AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA Britain votes Out ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS www.theweek.co.uk NEWS The main story… Brexit: the vote that shook the world David Cameron and fellow EU leaders held tense talks this week in an effort to contain the fallout from last Thursday’s historic Brexit vote The referendum result – a 52% to 48% victory for the Leave side – caught almost everyone by surprise, unleashing political and economic chaos It led Cameron to announce that he would resign as prime minister in the autumn, and prompted a concerted move by Labour MPs to unseat their own leader, Jeremy Corbyn (see opposite) The financial markets swung wildly – with sterling at one point plunging to a 31-year low against the dollar, and some share trading having to be temporarily halted Three credit-rating agencies downgraded the UK’s debt As Remainers vented their fury and disappointment, anti-EU parties on the continent rejoiced at the UK vote and vowed to push for referendums of their own lonelier and uglier” And the worst part, said Gabriel Roth on Slate, is that Brexit – assuming it happens, and there are those who think it won’t – may not even deliver a decrease in immigration No wonder many Leave voters are now said to be suffering from a bad case of “buyer’s remorse” I confess to having felt a tweak of guilt myself after the result, said Rod Liddle in The Sunday Times Had I let my fellow Europeans down by voting Leave? Was Britain now going to “cop it”? But the petulant reaction of Remain supporters and Jean-Claude Juncker, the unelected president of the European Commission – who warned that Brexit would not be “an amicable divorce” – restored my faith in my decision The fact is, most Britons feel uncomfortable with the Angry Remain supporters pace of immigration, they “quite like the nation state”, and they feel the elite has ignored their concerns Untangling ourselves from the EU will be tricky, said The Fearful of prolonged uncertainty, EU leaders urged Britain to Daily Telegraph, but critics are wrong to claim it’s bound to instigate formal exit negotiations “Married or divorced, but leave us worse off “There is no earthly reason why a country not something in between,” said Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg’s severing a political relationship that was already pretty halfPM “We are not on Facebook, with ‘it’s complicated’ as a hearted shouldn’t flourish, unless we talk ourselves into a crisis status.” But Cameron insisted the UK wouldn’t invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the official two-year notice to quit the or one is foisted on us.” There’s no call for panic, agreed Ross Clark in The Spectator In the end, we will get an acceptable Union, until a new government was in place (see page 6) He trade deal with the EU “because it will be in everyone’s said EU leaders had failed to grasp public concerns over mass interests that it should happen” immigration, and warned that they It was telling that share prices fell would have to show some flexibility “There could be benefits, for both further on the main German and on freedom-of-movement rules if they sides, in avoiding too hasty and French indices last week than they did wanted a future deal with Britain over on the FTSE: it suggested investors the single market Lib Dem leader brutal an ending” believe those country’s exports would Tim Farron said his party would continue fighting for the UK to remain in the EU, while Angus come off worse in the event of a “hostile divorce” Robertson, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, said his party My guess is that Brexit’s impact will be “neutral to moderately “had no intention whatsoever of seeing Scotland taken out negative” for the UK, said Wolfgang Münchau in the FT But of Europe” (see page 21) I fear it could be “devastating” for the EU, where anti-Brussels sentiment is on the rise In October, Italy is holding a crucial “How quickly the unthinkable became the irreversible,” said The Economist A year ago, few people imagined that Britons, referendum on constitutional reforms: Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has promised to resign if he loses – and there’s a good for all their fondness for whingeing about the EU, would chance he will The party most likely to benefit is the populist actually vote to leave “the club of countries that buy nearly half of Britain’s exports” Yet here we are The steep fall in the Five Star Movement, which wants to hold a referendum on EU membership That’s all the more reason to avoid any pound last week “offered a taste of what is to come” Brexit precipitate action over last week’s vote, said Martin Wolf in will leave the country with a “permanently less vibrant the same paper The UK should hold off from triggering economy”, resulting in fewer jobs and more austerity In the Article 50, which would “eliminate its leverage” and set the long term, said The Observer, it’s possible that Brexit may clock running on Brexit We need to work out exactly what bring some benefits, but for now the referendum result has we want, and the EU needs to reflect on its position too The pitched us into a world of “uncertainty and instability” The country “looks destined, unless we are both extremely vigilant “stalemate” can’t last forever “But there could be benefits, for both sides, in avoiding too hasty and brutal an ending.” and extremely lucky, to become by stages poorer, weaker, It wasn’t all bad A businessman with terminal cancer was so impressed by the treatment he received from the doctors and nurses at Poole Hospital that he left them £10m in his will Before his death last year, Robert White arranged to sell his £6.5m collection of cars and motorcycles to pay for a state-of-the-art cancer wing at the hospital; a further £3.5m will come from the sale of other assets The money will also help fund new radiotherapy facilities at Dorset County Hospital A multi-talented pet rabbit with an artistic bent has become an internet star When presented with a blank canvas, the Los Angeles-based bunny, a four-year-old Holland Lop named Bini, will grab a brush in its mouth, and daub on paint to create abstract designs in a variety of colours Bini (pictured) also plays pool and basketball – holding a ball in its mouth and dropping it into a net – and was recently seen using a brush to comb its owner’s hair Shai Asor bought Bini in 2012, and began teaching it tricks when he noticed that the rabbit liked to play with balls Bini now has more than 50,000 Facebook followers Across the country, people are responding to a rise in hate crimes since the Brexit vote by taking positive steps to show immigrants that they are welcome A Polish community centre in west London that was painted with graffiti has been inundated with flowers and messages of support And in Sherborne, Dorset, a b&b owner is offering free Sunday-night stays to immigrants from the EU in July and August: Malcolm Heygate-Browne said it was a “thank you for their contribution to the UK” COVER CARTOON: HOWARD MCWILLIAM THE WEEK July 2016 …and how it was covered NEWS They should be attacking the Tories, and facing up to the nation’s many problems, not leading this “farcical” attempted coup Labour implodes Britain is facing the “greatest political upheaval in its postwar history”, said The Times – and it desperately needs a “functioning opposition” Yet the Brexit campaign and its aftermath have revealed a Labour Party so chaotically led that it faces “possible extinction” Its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has “alienated” both voters in Labour’s heartlands, and his own MPs This week his parliamentary colleagues staged a “belated” revolt, leaving their posts in droves Yet Corbyn’s failure to get the Labour vote behind Remain was ultimately fatal, said The Independent He made “the case for the EU with all the enthusiasm of a medieval peasant confessing to witchcraft on pain of torture” Polls suggest that a third of Labour voters didn’t even know which side the party was on Now 81% of Corbyn’s MPs oppose him, said The Guardian “The question is no longer whether Mr Corbyn should continue to lead, but whether First to go was shadow foreign secretary Hilary he is in fact leading at all.” The party is in utter Benn, said The Daily Telegraph He was sacked disarray, said Michael Wilkinson in The Daily Corbyn: will he resign? during a confrontation at 1am on Saturday Telegraph The calls for his resignation kept on night, after being accused of plotting a coup Over the coming this week Ed Miliband reluctantly reached the following days, 20 members of the shadow cabinet and conclusion that Corbyn’s position was “untenable”; party 29 junior ministers resigned, their resignations apparently grandees Margaret Beckett and Tessa Jowell also called for choreographed, coming almost every hour On Monday, him to step aside David Cameron used Prime Minister’s thousands of Corbyn supporters rallied outside Parliament, Questions to say: “For heaven’s sake man, go!” chanting “Jez we can” and waving placards that read, “hands off our Corbyn” But on Tuesday, Labour MPs passed a Corbyn’s rivals were expected to launch leadership challenges motion of no confidence in their leader, by a crushing 172 to this week, with former shadow business secretary Angela 40 votes The ballot was not binding, however: Corbyn said it Eagle emerging as one front runner, and the party’s deputy had “no constitutional legitimacy”, and refused to step down leader, Tom Watson, rumoured to be waiting in the wings But getting rid of Corbyn may not be easy, said Geoffrey Corbyn has to go, said Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian Wheatcroft on Slate The party’s convoluted election rules During the Brexit campaign, he barely troubled to hide his mean that, once a candidate has been endorsed by 20% of Eurosceptic sympathies At one point, he “all but agreed” that MPs and MEPs (which he might still manage), the final choice those troubled by immigration should vote Leave There is of leader belongs to its rank-and-file members Many of these even evidence that his team deliberately sabotaged the cause, are newly joined hard-left activists, and polls suggest that a removing “pro-EU lines” from speeches But the referendum majority still favour Corbyn Even so, “Jeremy must resign”, debacle is not his fault, said Dawn Foster in the same said Chris Bryant, a Labour MP, in The Daily Telegraph He newspaper: it’s Cameron’s Labour MPs “have sought to is making himself a “laughing stock” The party itself could overturn the democratic election of Corbyn from day one” be “destroyed” if he doesn’t stand aside The Brexit breakdown: how the UK voted Just over 72% of voters participated in the referendum – 33.6 million people; that compares to a turnout in the last general election of 66.1% By region, turnout was lowest in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and highest in the southeast and southwest of England 84.6%.) In Northern Ireland, 56% voted Remain, on a turnout of 63% In Wales, 52.5% voted to Leave, a turnout of 71.7% In England, 53.4% voted to Leave, on a turnout of 73% The most Out region was the West Midlands (59.3%), followed by the East Midlands, the Northeast, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East The vote was divided 52% Leave, 48% Remain Overall, 17,410,742 people voted to Leave; 16,141,241 to Remain The only English region with a majority In vote was London, with 60% for Remain In Scotland 62% voted to Remain, on a turnout of 67% (In 2014’s Scottish independence referendum, turnout was The area with the highest proportion of Leave voters was Boston, Lincs, on 75.6% The areas with the lowest were the London boroughs of Hackney and Lambeth (21.5% and 21.4%), and Gibraltar (4.1%) Seven of the ten areas with the highest Remain vote were in London Of the 30 areas with the most elderly people, 27 voted to leave Of the 30 with the fewest graduates, 28 voted to leave Polls suggest that 75% of voters aged 18-24 voted to Remain in the EU; however, that age group is also believed to have had the lowest turnout, of 36% By contrast, Sky Data estimated that among 55- to 64-year-olds, turnout was 81%, rising to 83% among over-65s Well, which is it? Do we want a participatory democracy or a quiescent one? Given the endless laments in recent years about the public’s waning involvement in politics, the former is what we always seemed to desire And last week we got it Seldom has a nation immersed itself so thoroughly in political argument In homes, offices, shops and pubs, politics was the talking point Voters accustomed to feeling that their vote made no difference felt that this time, it would In housing estates across the land, in Stoke-on-Trent – where less than 50% bothered to vote in the last election – turnout was over 65% But here’s the rub If citizen involvement is a key virtue of the democratic system, submission to the majority verdict is another It’s a system aimed at neutralising that most toxic of political emotions, Sore Loser Syndrome (SLS) And the chances of doing that are far greater if you’re voting for a political party rather than a political outcome Parties, after all, make a range of obscure promises, so even if your own party loses you can still hope the winners will enact some of what you want By contrast, a plebiscite offers voters a stark choice over a single outcome – a fine way of stimulating citizen participation but a lousy way of suppressing SLS We can see that only too clearly from the reaction of last week’s sore losers (the Lib Dems among them) who now seek to reverse the majority decision Insanity If they’re sore at losing, just imagine the hysterical SLS of the majority robbed of victory Jeremy O’Grady It’s almost a recipe for civil war How very stupid clever people can be THE WEEK Editor-in-chief: Jeremy O’Grady Editor: Caroline Law Deputy editors: Harry Nicolle, Theo Tait Consultant editor: Jemima Lewis Assistant editor: Daniel Cohen City editor: Jane Lewis Contributing editors: Charity Crewe, Thomas Hodgkinson, Simon Wilson, Rob McLuhan, William Underhill, Digby Warde-Aldam Editorial staff: Alanna O’Connell, Nell Lewis, Tigger Ridgwell Picture editor: Xandie Nutting Art director: Nathalie Fowler Sub editor: Kari Wilkin Production editor: Michael Haydock Founder and editorial director: Jolyon Connell Production Managers: Ebony Besagni, Lawrence Brookes Newstrade Director: David Barker Direct Marketing Director: Abi Spooner Inserts: Abdul Ahad Classified: Emma Greenwood, Henry Haselock, Henry Pickford Account Manager: Ryan Gisborne-Weare Display Group Head: Caroline Fenner Account Directors: John Hipkiss, Wayne Russell, Victoria Ryan, Jocelyn Sital-Singh UK Ad Director: Marc Young Executive Director – Head of Advertising: David Weeks Chief Executive, The Week: Kerin O’Connor COO: Brett Reynolds Group CFO: Ian Leggett Chief executive: James Tye Dennis Publishing founder: Felix Dennis THE WEEK Ltd, a subsidiary of Dennis Publishing Ltd, 30 Cleveland St, London W1T 4JD Tel: 020-7907 6000 Editorial: The Week Ltd, 2nd Floor, 32 Queensway, London W2 3RX Tel: 020-7907 6180 email: editorialadmin@theweek.co.uk Subscriptions: 0844 844 0086; overseas +44(0)1795 592921; theweek@servicehelpline.co.uk The Week is licensed to The Week Limited by Dennis Publishing Limited The Week is a registered trade mark of Felix Dennis 25 June 2016 THE WEEK Politics NEWS Controversy of the week Boris for PM? Boris Johnson woke up last Friday morning “having won the war”, said Gaby Hinsliff in The Guardian Against all the odds, he had achieved a great victory, and emerged as the “heir presumptive” to the Tory leadership and No 10 “It’s just that somehow, as he fought his way through booing crowds on his Islington doorstep before holding an uncharacteristically subdued press conference, it didn’t really look that way.” He seemed “as shocked as anyone else by the enormity of what is happening” Now he stands to inherit “a nation febrile and divided, teetering on the brink of economic and constitutional crisis” Johnson certainly doesn’t look like a man with a plan, said Janan Ganesh in the FT In his Telegraph column on Monday, he sketched out a model of Brexit which seemed to Gove and Johnson after their victory include warm ties with Europe and access to its single market, without paying in money, observing its laws or allowing the free movement of people “He did not say whether he also intends to bake a pie and put it in the sky.” Even so, the 52% have spoken – and the Leavers will have to clear up the mess they’ve made Boring but important Infrastructure projects Some of Britain’s biggest infrastructure projects have been thrown into doubt by the EU referendum result The £18bn project to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, in Somerset, could be cancelled, a government adviser on nuclear matters has warned Paul Dorfman told The Times that the devaluation of the pound, and the political uncertainty generated by Brexit, would be anathema to EDF, the French statecontrolled energy company, which was already struggling to find the funds for the Not necessarily, said Isabel Hardman in The Observer There is plenty of bad blood in the party over recent events, and the “Anyone But Boris” campaign is up and running Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb, a rising star from a Welsh working-class background, and an enthusiastic Remainer, threw his hat into the ring this week Home Secretary Theresa May is, however, the favoured “ABB” candidate “She backed Remain, but in a more half-hearted way than even Jeremy Corbyn.” So she is “perfectly placed to unite the warring Tory tribes”, said Lucy Denyer in The Daily Telegraph We need “someone steely at the helm” during Brexit negotiations, and she fits the bill May has survived six years at the notoriously tricky Home Office, where she is renowned for her forensic grasp of detail and for “getting what she wants” She gives nothing away – David Cameron once spent an hour trying to get her to say which way she’d vote in the referendum, “but came away still guessing” True, she can seem cold “But these are serious times: who wants a joker in charge?” Well, the joker is still the favourite, said Daniel Finkelstein in The Times Boris has charisma, a proven ability to win difficult elections, and support among the party members who will ultimately choose the leader (after the candidates are whittled down to two by successive rounds of voting among MPs) He also has the backing of Michael Gove, and possibly of George Osborne But Tory leadership elections are “famously hard to call”, and other candidates might come to the fore between now and September, when the new leader will be announced Whoever gets the job, “a huge bust-up lies ahead”, said Matthew Parris in The Times Only 160 of 650 MPs backed Brexit So we probably need a new general election, while facing the prospect of economic meltdown, a Scottish referendum, and splits in both main parties “Our experiment in direct democracy is hurtling towards our tradition of representative democracy like some giant asteroid towards a moon.” Spirit of the age The residents of Tunbridge Wells are outraged A new supermarket is being opened in the prosperous Kent town – and it’s not the Waitrose locals have long felt was their due Over the years, scores have written to Waitrose, demanding to know why their town has been overlooked They were angry in 2014, when Sevenoaks got its second Waitrose; and even angrier when Edenbridge, 13 miles away, was awarded one, although it has a population of only 8,000 Now, they’ve been told that a site that they hoped would become a Waitrose is to be occupied instead by budget retailer Wilko “This is a Royal spa town and Waitrose is known as the Queen’s grocers,” explained one aggrieved resident, Craig Smart, 43 THE WEEK July 2016 Good week for: Gender equality, with news that women are, for the first time, being allowed to participate in English Heritage jousting tournaments The organisation has invited two leading female jousters from the European circuit to join the male “knights” competing at four English Heritage castles this summer Justine Greening, who celebrated Gay Pride by coming out As much of central London was brought to a standstill by last week’s march, the International Development Secretary tweeted: “Today’s a good day to say I’m in a same-sex relationship I campaigned for Stronger In, but sometimes you’re better off out!” Greening, 47, is the first openly gay woman to hold cabinet office Led Zeppelin, who were cleared of stealing the opening bars of their biggest hit, Stairway to Heaven, from a song called Taurus by the rock band Spirit A jury in LA concluded that the two songs were not “substantially similar” in their fundamental elements Bad week for: The Irish passport office, which fears being swamped by applications from UK citizens Since the Brexit vote, there has been a surge in Google searches for “getting an Irish passport”, and Ireland’s foreign minister has confirmed a “spike” in applications Charlie Flanagan warned that this risked putting undue pressure on the system, and reminded UK citizens that it will be two years or more before the rights they enjoy as EU citizens come to an end project However, EDF insists that it’s still committed to building the new station There has also been speculation that plans to build a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick will be scuppered; a decision had been expected this month, but has now been delayed The High Speed railway line (HS2), linking London, the Midlands and the North ,could also be affected Already it has been suggested that parts of the proposed line will be dropped Second EU referendum Four million people have signed a petition calling on the Government to hold a second EU referendum The petition – proposing that to win a referendum, one side should achieve at least 60% of the vote if the turnout is less than 75% – was set up in late May by a right-wing Brexit supporter, who at that point feared that Remain would win by a small margin Labour MP David Lammy has endorsed a second referendum, while Tony Blair raised it as a possibility; however, most MPs have insisted that the result be respected Some 77,000 signatures have been removed from the petition, on suspicion that they were added fraudulently Europe at a glance Brussels Unwelcome guest: UKIP’s Nigel Farage was booed in the European Parliament on Tuesday at an emergency session to discuss the UK’s vote to leave the EU Things started amicably enough with an embrace between Farage and the Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) – but the mood changed when Farage told MEPs that they were “in denial” about the failure of the European ideal, and accused them of never having had a proper job Several turned their backs on the UKIP leader, and Juncker asked him: “Why are you here?” However, Marine Le Pen, of France’s National Front, praised Farage, and hailed Brexit as the start of a “People’s Spring” Rome Hospital honoured: Between September 1943 and June 1944, Rome was struck by an epidemic of the mysterious and deadly “K syndrome”; as a result, dozens of people had to be quarantined in a wing at the Fatebenefratelli hospital – closed to outsiders, and especially to the German soldiers then rounding up Rome’s Jews for deportation In fact, the K syndrome didn’t exist; none of the “patients” was ill – and all were Jewish In this way, the doctors who diagnosed the disease, and the nurses who went along with the deception, saved at least 40 lives The hospital, near Rome’s Jewish ghetto, was recently recognised by the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation as a “House of Life” that gave shelter to the victims of Nazi persecution Last week, one of the doctors, Adriano Ossicini, 96, attended a ceremony to celebrate the honour, along with 83-year-old Luciana Tedesco, one of the hospital’s fictitious patients NEWS Taurianova, Italy Mafioso held: Italy’s second-most wanted mafia boss, the ’Ndrangheta kingpin Ernesto Fazzalari, was arrested last Sunday after 20 years on the run The 46-year-old was caught, with his girlfriend, when police raided a remote cottage in the mountains outside his home town of Taurianova in Calabria He now faces a life term, having been convicted in absentia of crimes including murder and drug trafficking Federico Cafiero de Raho, Calabria’s chief anti-mafia prosecutor, said it was hugely significant that Fazzalari had been captured in the ’Ndrangheta’s heartland “Taurianova is a place where the clans control every clod of earth,” he said – yet “the investigation proceeded without him hearing a whisper” Paris No change on migrants: Suggestions that the border checks that take place on the French side of the Channel could be pushed back to Kent have been rebuffed by the government in Paris, reports The Guardian Under the bilateral Le Touquet accord, signed in 2003, British officials are authorised to check passports in France, and vice versa It is as a result of this arrangement that thousands of migrants hoping to reach Britain are currently languishing in the makeshift Jungle camp at Calais Since the referendum, calls have been growing in France for Paris to unilaterally end the deal, and send the migrants on to Kent “The English wanted to take back their freedom: they must take back their border,” said Xavier Bertrand, the president of the Hauts-de-France region, which includes Calais But this week, Paris signalled that it had no plan to terminate or renegotiate the treaty Madrid Unclear result: Spain’s second election in six months has produced another parliament: the People’s Party (PP), led by acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy, increased its share of the vote, but still won only 137 seats in parliament – 14 more than in December, but far fewer than the 176 needed to form a majority The socialist PSOE – the PP’s traditional adversary – came second, with 85 seats, while the upstart left-wing alliance Unidos Podemos came third, with 71 Rajoy hoped to make an alliance with the PSOE, which performed better than expected: analysts had predicted it would be knocked into third place by Unidos Podemos However, the PSOE rejected his coalition offer Rajoy said the PP would carry on governing “day by day”, and pointed to Podemos’s failure to defeat the Socialists as evidence that his policies were working Catch up with daily news at www.theweek.co.uk Istanbul, Turkey Dozens killed in airport attack: Three suicide bombers launched a devastating attack on Istanbul’s Atatürk airport late on Tuesday evening, spraying bullets around the building before blowing themselves up At least 41 people were killed, and around 240 were injured The bombers seem to have travelled in a taxi to the airport, the third-busiest in Europe, with AK-47 automatic rifles in their bags According to early reports, they opened fire on crowds of passengers inside the international arrivals terminal, and at its entrance Presumed to have been perpetrated by Islamic State, the suicide attack was the third targeting tourists in Istanbul this year, and is likely to deal a crippling blow to Turkey’s already struggling tourist industry World leaders expressed their outrage and dismay; Charles Michel, the PM of Belgium – where 32 people were killed in a similar attack on Brussels in March – posted an emotional message of solidarity; Germany’s foreign minister said that “we stand by Turkey”; in the US, the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said the attack “strengthens our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism and radical jihadism around the world… [in] cooperation with our allies”, while the Republican Donald Trump spoke of “taking steps to protect America” July 2016 THE WEEK NEWS The world at a glance Baltimore, Maryland Freddie Gray cop acquitted: A second police officer has been acquitted of all criminal charges relating to the case of Freddie Gray – a suspect whose death from injuries sustained in a police van last April triggered major riots in Baltimore Caesar Goodson Jr was driving the van carrying Gray, 25, after he was forcibly arrested for possessing a switchblade Gray wasn’t given a seat belt, and prosecutors accused Goodson of deliberately subjecting him to what is known as a “rough ride”, causing him to sustain a fatal spinal-cord injury as he was thrown around in the back of the vehicle But the court decided there was no evidence that the defendant had driven erratically on purpose, and acquitted him of second-degree “depraved-heart” murder – equating to gross negligence – and lesser charges including reckless endangerment Panama City Canal opens: Thousands of people, including a dozen heads of state, gathered outside Panama City on Sunday to watch a 984ft Chinese container ship become the first commercial vessel to sail down the newly expanded Panama Canal The ten-year, $5.4bn enlargement project has made the waterway, which was opened in 1914, accessible to a new generation of giant ships known as the Neopanamax class The Chinese vessel paid the government of Panama $500,000 to make its ten-hour trip between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans “Today marks a historic day for Panama,” said President Juan Carlos Varela Washington DC Congressional sit-in: There were chaotic scenes in the US Congress last week when around 170 Democrat congressmen and women held a 25-hour sit-in, calling for tighter gun controls in the wake of the Orlando massacre Their protest, which they live-streamed from the chamber, failed to force a vote on new legislation in the Republican-controlled Houses of Congress; however, the protesters insisted that their fight had only just begun They would, they said, be taking the issue back to their constituents, before returning “with a new sense of purpose” when Congress resumes on July The Democrats are calling for more background checks for gun buyers, and a ban on people on the terrorism watch list buying guns (see page 15) Austin, Texas Abortion verdict: In a landmark verdict, the US Supreme Court has struck down Texas’s strict abortion regulations Republicans claimed the laws they introduced in 2013 were designed to protect women But campaigners argued that the regulations – which oblige doctors performing abortions to have admission privileges at local hospitals, and abortion clinics to have hospital-like facilities – had no medical benefit, and were mainly designed to restrict women’s access to abortions by forcing clinics to close The 5-3 ruling is the most significant on abortion by the Supreme Court in years, and is likely to deter other states from enacting “clinic shutdown” laws Since 2013 the number of clinics in Texas has fallen from 42 to 19, and more closures have been expected Washington DC Hillary’s boost from Bernie: Although he has refused formally to endorse her candidacy, and is technically still in the Democrat race, the socialist senator Bernie Sanders has declared that he will vote for Hillary Clinton in November – and his supporters seem finally to be rallying to her cause In May, 20% of Sanders supporters said they would vote for the Republican Donald Trump in the White House race; now, that figure is down to 8% – enormously boosting Clinton’s chances According to The Washington Post, she currently leads Trump by 51% to 39% Sanders has vowed to battle on to the Democrat convention, to keep his “revolution” alive, and force the party to adopt a more progressive platform Orlando, Florida Shooting was “revenge”: A man who says he was Omar Mateen’s gay lover has claimed that Mateen committed his massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to get vengeance on a former lover Identified only as Miguel, the man says he met Mateen (pictured) on a dating site late last year, and that they “hooked up” 15 to 20 times; he claims that Mateen didn’t talk about Islamic State, but that he’d been “terrified” when he heard that a Puerto Rican man he’d had sex with had tested positive for HIV He apparently said he felt “used” by Puerto Rican men, and that he’d “make them pay” THE WEEK July 2016 Bogotá Farc signs peace deal: Thousands of people took to the streets of Bogotá and other Colombian cities last week, to celebrate a deal to end the country’s 50-year civil war Signed in Havana, Cuba, by representatives of the government and of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the deal confirms the cessation of hostilities, and outlines how Farc’s estimated 7,000 guerrillas will demobilise; however, this will only begin following the signing of a final agreement, which could take place later this month The conflict, described as the longest-running insurgency in the Western hemisphere, has cost more than 200,000 lives, and displaced millions Farc’s leaders have signalled that they now plan to build a political movement The world at a glance Qaa, Lebanon Christian village bombed: Eight suicide bombers raided a Christian village in Lebanon this week, killing at least five people Although no immediate responsibility was claimed for the attacks, close to the Syrian border, they were presumed to be the work of Islamic State The first attack was pre-dawn One bomber blew himself up after being challenged by a local resident in Qaa The others detonated their explosives as villagers gathered at the scene A second attack targeted funeral preparations that evening Isis’s forces have been ranged in the hilly border area for years, and although the group had urged its followers to kill non-believers in the holy month of Ramadan, analysts believe its prime target is the powerful Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, which is fighting in support of President Assad in Syria Yerevan Peace and anger: The Pope angered the Turkish government this week by describing the slaughter of millions of Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces in 1915 as a “genocide” During a three-day visit to Armenia, Francis I also laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Turkey’s deputy PM said the Pope’s words betrayed a “crusader mentality” The next day, however, Francis urged the Armenians to reconcile with Turkey, and – at the ancient Khor Virap monastery, close to the border – he and the Armenian Patriarch released white doves in Turkey’s direction NEWS Kot, Afghanistan Isis renews attacks: Islamic State made a fresh attempt to seize control of territory in eastern Afghanistan last week, triggering three days of fierce fighting with security forces Officials said that around 135 Isis fighters had been killed in three days, along with at least 12 Afghan security personnel The fighting began last Thursday, when 600 heavily armed, Isis-affiliated fighters launched coordinated attacks on security outposts in Kot in Nangarhar province, close to the Pakistan border Three months ago, the Afghan president said that Islamic State had been driven out of the country; but according to the US military, there are still up to 3,000 fighters loyal to Isis in Afghanistan They are mostly disaffected former members of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, and are concentrated in Nangarhar and neighbouring Kunar Beijing City sinking: Beijing’s 20 million residents – who already put up with toxic smog and dire traffic congestion – have learnt that their city is sinking, at a rate of 11cm a year in some parts Engineers say the relentless pumping of groundwater, for use in homes and in industry, is behind the subsidence, and that it poses a serious safety risk, with damage to railway lines one area of concern However, Beijing is not alone in its problem: Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 28cm a year Pretoria Zuma must pay: Jacob Zuma should refund 7.8m Rand (£388,000) that he charged to the taxpayer for non-security-related improvements to his private residence, a treasury report has recommended The upgrades included the installation of a swimming pool, an amphitheatre and a chicken run The report was commissioned by the constitutional court in March: it ruled that Zuma had “failed to uphold, defend and respect” South Africa’s constitution, by refusing to pay back public money spent on his Nkandla homestead; and asked the Treasury to suggest what proportion of the bill Zuma should pay It came up with 88% Once the court approves the figure, Zuma will have 45 days to stump up the money Mecca, Saudi Arabia Style police: Around 50 young men have been arrested in Mecca in a crackdown on “bizarre” haircuts and “anti-Islamic” shorts According to reports in Sabq, a pro-government newspaper, teams of police officers have been patrolling shopping malls in the holy city during Ramadan, looking out for violations including “bizarre hairstyles, chains that are on the chest or arms, hair ties and shorts” Photos show young men wearing distressed jeans, knee-length shorts and Crocs; the paper reports that they were taken away and “handed over to the department of criminal investigations” The paper also interviewed a young man in gym shorts, who, after being detained, apparently vowed to mend his ways “Frankly this outfit is sickening,” he was quoted as saying “Today I have decided to wear long sports trousers instead.” Karachi, Pakistan Singer shot dead: One of Pakistan’s most revered singers was shot dead by Taliban gunmen as he drove through Karachi last week Amjad Sabri was famous for his renditions of Sufi devotional songs, and his death prompted an outpouring of grief and anger The Pakistani Taliban was quick to claim responsibility for the killing, saying Sabri (pictured) was a blasphemer (Two years ago he caused controversy by referring to the family members of the Prophet Mohammed in a song.) However, police said they were still investigating who was behind the attack July 2016 THE WEEK People 10 NEWS Sir Cliff on being cleared In August 2014, while on holiday in Portugal with friends, Sir Cliff Richard got a phone call telling him that his apartment in Berkshire was being raided by police, and that a BBC helicopter was hovering overhead, filming it all Baffled, he turned on the television – to discover he had been accused of historic sex crimes “I didn’t vomit, but the greatest knot in my stomach arrived,” he told David Wigg in the Daily Mail “It was like a boulder You know, you just have that, ‘God, what is happening to me?’” Since then, the singer has been living in a state of constant dread “I always knew I was innocent, but I always worried I would end up in prison Or at least having to face a court.” The strain took a physical and mental toll: he became thin and frail, and was unable to sleep “I thought I was going crazy, because I found I was talking to myself Whether I was in the shower or brushing my teeth, I’m mumbling away in front of the mirror I phoned Paul Gambaccini [the radio DJ who was also falsely accused of molestation] and said I’m in the bathroom and I’m talking to myself He said: ‘What are you saying?’ I told him it was like I was facing a judge or something He said: ‘You’re not going crazy, think of it as a rehearsal.’” Last week, after a two-year police investigation, Richard’s ordeal finally ended when the Crown Prosecution Service threw out all the allegations against him His accusers all turned out to be thoroughly untrustworthy – one is a convicted sex offender, another allegedly plotted to blackmail him – and their claims easily disproved Richard is hugely relieved; but he knows the damage to his reputation can never truly be undone “Because they don’t say ‘Chucked out – no evidence,’ they? They say ‘insufficient evidence’, which to the reader, certainly to me, suggests maybe there is some evidence, but not enough.” Everett’s gender roles Rupert Everett used to think he was transgender, says Camilla Long in The Sunday Times From the age of six to 14, he dressed exclusively as a girl His mother – a Home Counties major’s wife – indulged him happily, giving him her own clothes and shopping for “nightdresses and negligees” for him “I really wanted to be a girl,” he says “Thank God the world of now wasn’t then, because I’d be on hormones and I’d be a woman After I was 15 I never wanted to be a woman again.” Instead, he discovered acting – and sex By 16, Everett was a “leather queen”, cutting a swathe through London’s gay scene He worries that modern parents are too quick to “get medical” with cross-dressing children “It’s nice to be allowed to express yourself but the hormone thing, very young, is a big step I think a lot of children have an ambivalence when they’re very young And there should be a way of embracing it.” Castaway of the week Viewpoint: This week’s edition of Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs featured human rights activist Sara Khan You Keep Me Hangin’ On by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland, performed by Diana Ross and the Supremes Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin by Anand Bakshi and R.D Burman, performed by Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey Lacrimosa dies illa from Requiem in D minor by Mozart, performed by the London Philharmonic Choir Sweet Child O’ Mine, written and performed by Guns N’ Roses 5* A Change is Gonna Come, written and performed by Sam Cooke Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey and Rick Nowels, performed by Lana Del Rey Fighter by Christina Aguilera and Scott Storch, performed by Christina Aguilera Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein Book: The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists by Khaled M Abou El Fadl Luxury: Yorkshire tea THE WEEK July 2016 Marion Bartoli is almost unrecognisable from when she won Wimbledon three years ago, says Hilary Rose in The Times The 31-year-old has lost more than three stone, and now lives on a diet of extreme asceticism “I’m completely gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, salt-free and everything organic.” So what does she actually eat? “Steamed vegetables, salads, cucumbers There’s a nice dessert that’s dairy-free, sugar-free, fat-free, butter-free and made of coconut oil It tastes really good!” Bartoli has also transformed her exercise regime “I stopped going to the gym and lifting 200kg I ballet, yoga and pilates, so everything is long and elastic It’s inner strength but less of the powerful muscles that come from the thigh that you need for tennis.” All this, she insists, has nothing to with the row that broke out during her winning season at Wimbledon, when commentator John Inverdale asked Radio Live listeners: “Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little, ‘You’re never going to be a looker?’” She wasn’t traumatised or even offended, she insists The change in her looks is simply the result of retiring from tennis, and no longer having to beef herself up “I think my body and my brain just came back to normal, to who I am I think I look okay and I’m in good health It’s not like I’m trying to lose weight.” * Choice if allowed only one record The Leave vision “Now that it is all over, it is quite easy to see why it all went so wrong for the Remain camp If you are going to pin your entire strategy on support for the status quo, you need first to be sure that people are happy with the way things are If you think the main thing that people have to fear is that the economy will tank, you are in trouble when half the country feels that, for them, it has tanked already The Leave campaign started off as an appeal to return to Agatha Christie’s England – warm beer, leaving your front door open – and evolved into a strategy that said if you don’t like what your country has become, you don’t have to put up with it It went from being a dream about the past to a vision of the future.” Anthony Hilton in the London Evening Standard Farewell Bob Holman, anti-poverty activist and academic, died 16 June, aged 79 Lord Mayhew of Twysden, former Northern Ireland secretary, died 25 June, aged 86 James Nicholson, crime reporter known as the “Prince of Darkness”, died 12 June, aged 89 Harry Rabinowitz, conductor and composer of film and TV music, died 22 June, aged 100 Our new bookshop for readers of The Week Browse www.theweek.co.uk/bookshop for all the latest books reviewed in The Week Call 020 3176 3835 to order books reviewed in The Week or any other book in print Free delivery on orders over £20 Free delivery is UK standard delivery and does not apply to international orders View delivery options Visit www.theweek.co.uk/bookshop or call 020 3176 3835 to order LEISURE Food & Drink 37 What the experts recommend The Ox The Basement, 43 Corn Street, Bristol (0117-922 1001) I’ve never been much of a steak man, says Michael Deacon in The Daily Telegraph “Nothing against it – it’s just such a dully generic bloke choice.” But I think The Ox “may have turned me” The 10.5oz ribeye, medium rare, I was served in this “hobbit hole” of a basement restaurant in Bristol was fat, it was juicy – and “my God, it was manly” I could feel my muscles swelling and neck thickening with every mouthful More serious advice: order the garlic butter to go with it Gorgeously salty, it sets off the meat perfectly – “every drooling hunk of it” In earlier reviews, the chips have come in for some criticism: hard and tasteless, apparently Clearly, the kitchen has listened, as mine were fine, with a nice crunchy layer before you reach the potato For pudding, I chose the special – peanut butter parfait, a dish so “violently sweet”, it was like a “bar brawl in the mouth” But after a giant steak, washed down with a “sturdy” red, maybe one can forego pudding Around £45 a head for three courses without drinks Corkage 132a Walcot Street, Bath (01225-422577) This wine bar might be “rackety and chaotic”, with food that is rarely much more than functional Yet by “sheer force of personality”, it delights, says Jay Rayner and crisp and just the right side of dry” This, I reckon, is how to wine “If I lived in Bath, I would be here a lot.” Between £60-£100 for a meal for two, with lots of wine The Ox: “hobbit hole” of a restaurant in The Observer Behind the bar I find Marty Grant, a “bright-eyed chap with a shaggy explosion of red hair and a neat line in patter” I ask if there’s a list to look at No, he says “There’s a chat We discuss what sort of thing you might like.” Chatting done, a light, bright vinho verde, made by a Welsh couple living in Portugal, is “the perfect kick-off” (£20 a bottle) There’s a Château de la Tuilerie (£4.50 a glass) which Grant claims is Carla Bruni’s favourite wine There’s a Catalan red (£6.50) and a Chilean pinot (£7) I ask if he has anything in the style of Chablis He shrugs “How about a Chablis?” It’s £7.50 a glass for something “classically bright Recipe of the week Zabaglione is a truly delicious light, foamy Italian dessert made with fortified wine As with custard, the eggs need to be cooked over a very gentle heat, just warm enough for the mixture to thicken and swell; be careful not to overheat the mixture or it will curdle Classic zabaglione Serves 4, takes 20 minutes to prepare large egg yolks seeds from vanilla pod 100g golden caster (superfine) sugar pinch of ground cinnamon 75ml or 4½ tbsp Marsala or Madeira wine amaretti biscuits, roughly crushed • Put the egg yolks, vanilla seeds and sugar into a large heatproof bowl Using an electric handheld beater, whisk for minutes, or until the mixture is pale, thick and creamy Mix in the cinnamon • Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water) Slowly add the fortified wine, whisking all the time Continue to whisk for minutes or so, until the mixture thickens and swells enough to leave a trail when the beaters are lifted • Remove from the heat and immediately spoon between four glasses Sprinkle with crushed amaretti biscuits and serve Taken from Posh Eggs by Lucy O’Reilly, published by Quadrille at £12.99 To buy from The Week bookshop for £10.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit www.theweek.co.uk/bookshop Takahashi 228 Merton Road, London SW19 (020-8540 3041) Takahashi, a superb Japanese restaurant in Wimbledon, is not cheap, says Marina O’Loughlin in The Guardian Of course it’s not “I’m sorry if I’m breaking it to you”, but cheap sushi does not make for great sushi “And this is great sushi.” Wagyu nigiri – two leaves of meat over just-vinegared, just-sticky-enough rice – is greeted with amazement by my pal, who hails it as perhaps “the nicest thing I’ve ever eaten” Luxurious snow crab nigiri is like “a caress from a sea god”, and we love the whimsy of scallop wrapped in shredded filo pastry with citrussy mayo and tonburi seeds The chef-patron here, Nobuhisa Takahashi, has Nobu roots and is happy to fish from them: there’s a take on the famous Nobu black cod, and South American touches in the form of ceviche and salsa Moving off the seafood, we enjoy fatty, melting pork belly with a roast aubergine and miso dressing and a smoky slab of aubergine beneath This is serious cooking, with charming service In fact, dining at Takahashi is such a pleasure, I rather wish I’d kept this find to myself Set menu £20-£35; tasting menus £38 or £75 Wine choice If you’re looking for a good value, decent white wine in case the weather perks up, here are three I would recommend, says David Williams in The Observer Truly Irresistible Fiano di Benevento, Italy 2014 (£6.99; The Co-op) Made with one of my favourite white grapes, this wine combines leafy herb flavours with citrus freshness The depth of flavour here is impressive at the price Sainsbury’s offers a nice line in aromatic, seafood-friendly whites from northwest Spain Taste the Difference Albariño 2015 (£8) is pleasantly breezy and gently peachy, but it is pipped by Taste the Difference Godello, Bierzo, Spain 2015 (£7), with its extra charge of lemony tang behind the stone fruit and fresh acidity Colinas del Itata Old Vine Field Blend Muscat Corinto, Itata, Chile 2014 (£10; M&S) The Itata Valley in southern Chile has developed an unlikely affinity with the perfumed charms of muscat from very old vines For M&S, De Martino has combined muscat and corinto to come up with a dry but exotically aromatic white, mixing musky spice with fresh, floral perfume July 2016 THE WEEK Travel LEISURE 39 This week’s dream: rewilding Argentina’s northern wetlands Marshland, forests and lagoons its veranda, you can see “a bewildering stretching across an area the size of profusion” of birds – monk parakeets, Yorkshire, the Iberá Wetlands in flickers (a kind of woodpecker), northern Argentina are among the caracaras, and even rheas (ostrich-like country’s great natural wonders birds with foghorn courtship calls) The region teems with wildlife, and A short stroll away is a lake where although hunting has wiped out some ibises and jacanas wade, and capybaras of its most spectacular species, one (sheep-sized semi-aquatic rodents) NGO is now working hard to bring wallow in the mud, marshalling their them back, says Mike Unwin in The young with “sneezing” alarm calls Daily Telegraph The Conservation Guests can explore the area by boat, Land Trust, founded by the late Doug on foot and on horseback Howler Tompkins (the man behind The North monkeys patrol the forest canopies, Face brand), owns a vast tract of the caimans bask in the lagoons, and baby wetlands – one third of its total area – armadillos tumble along the paths in and has reintroduced anteaters and neat lines behind their armour-clad Herdsmen on a cattle ranch in the Iberá Wetlands collared peccaries (“terrier-sized, pigmothers And there’s already a jaguar like” animals) Pampas deer and jaguar are soon to follow to see at the Trust’s new breeding facility on the island of San At the heart of the Trust’s property is Rincón del Socorro, Alonso, accessible only by small plane A captive female, Tobuna a “picture-book” Argentinian estancia, “all grazing horses, can never be released into the wild herself – but chances are her flowering trees and sweeping lawns” Built in 1896 by English progeny will soon be prowling these great wetlands “on their own cattle ranchers, it became a tourist lodge in 2005 and now offers terms” Steppes Travel (0843-778 9926, www.steppestravel.co.uk) 24 guests a laid-back retreat in the heart of the wilderness From has a 10-day Argentina trip from £3,475pp, including flights Hotel of the week Getting the flavour of… A Caribbean island’s glorious past Panacea, Koh Samui This is the “latest and greatest” hotel on the Thai island of Koh Samui, says Condé Nast Traveller Perched on the hill above sweeping Bophut beach, its five “enormous” villas have vaulted cedar-shingle ceilings, sliding glass doors, and interiors featuring travertine stone, teak furniture, and textiles from northern hill tribes The four smaller ones have their own 20-metre infinity pools and a shared gym and spa But it’s the main villa that “delivers the knockout blow” It contains a cinema seating ten people (in reclining leather chairs), a nightclub, a wine cellar for up to 30 bottles of wine, a Muay Thai boxing ring, and a gambling den Villas from £899pn +66 7743 0074, www.panaceasamui.com In the 18th century, it was the world’s busiest seaport, a “phenomenally wealthy” Dutch trading post that supplied fighters in the American Revolution with arms Today, it is a sleepy backwater, home to just 3,000 people and little visited by tourists But the tiny Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius is rich in history and in natural beauty, says Amy Dean in The Independent Its main town, Oranjestad, has a picturesque fort, the New World’s second-oldest synagogue, and backstreets littered with 18th century artefacts, from Chinese porcelain shards to broken pipes Its beaches are unremarkable, but the diving on its reefs and shipwrecks is good Although the parched slopes of the Quill – the island’s dormant volcano – are “uninspiring”, its jungled crater is wonderful, lit by an ethereal green light as the midday sun filters through the leaves For more details, see www.statiatourism.com Norway’s fjords by road Most tourists discover the Norwegian fjords by cruise ship, but to really lose yourself in this “epic” landscape, go by car, says Lydia Bell in The Times On a five-day circuit from the “jewel-like” art deco city of Ålesund, the driving is lonely and tough, with relentless hairpin bends and an elaborate system of tunnels, but the views – across the “black waters” of the Geiranger fjord, for instance, or the Valldal valley – are “cinematic” Along the way you can hike, kayak and ski, or go on whale-watching trips in high-speed Rib boats The boutique hotels en route are a delight, in particular the “industrial chic” Brosundet, the fin-de-siècle Union Øye, the cosy, timber-built Storfjord, and the Juvet Landscape Hotel, an ultra-modern marvel Original Travel (020-3813 2856, www originaltravel.co.uk) has a six-night trip from £1,050, including flights and car hire Pembrokeshire’s secret coves The coast of Pembrokeshire is lined with sandy coves and awe-inspiring sea caves that are not accessible on foot One way to see the best of them is with “sea-cliff evangelist” Henry Castle, of Climb Pembroke, says Kevin Rushby in The Guardian He can take you abseiling down cliffs near Stackpole Head – an “exhilarating” experience which affords magnificent views, and delivers you onto a beautiful sandy beach There are crystals in the caves, “shards of shipwrecks”, and rock pools “twitchy with prawns” Or you could kayak to the empty beaches and “magical” caverns that lie between Stackpole Quay and Barafundle Bay, or even swim – but you need to be a strong and experienced wild swimmer to tackle these waters Climb Pembroke (07732-972643, www climbpembroke.com) has climbing days from £50pp for groups of four to six Last-minute offers from top travel companies Sydney self-drive The 8-night Sydney, Blue Mountains and Beyond trip includes nights at the Vibe Hotel Sydney From £1,095pp with car hire and flights 0800988 4834, www.austravel com Travel in November Families in Gran Canaria A 7-night stay at the familyfriendly Barceló Margaritas, situated in the popular Playa del Inglés, costs from £481pp half board, including flights 020-3451 2688, www thomson.co.uk Depart July A historic hall in Derbyshire A week’s stay in one of two cottages, sleeping apiece, in the refurbished Hopton Hall, costs from £1,530, for arrival on select dates in August 01629-540458, www.premier cottages.co.uk Northeast Sri Lanka Book by 30 July for a 12-day tour of the country’s cultural triangle From £1,016pp b&b with transfers and trips (excl flights) 020-7371 1113, www onthegotours.com Depart November or December July 2016 THE WEEK Consumer 40 LEISURE New cars: what the critics say Fiat 124 Spider from £19,545 Autocar Fiat is one of the great Italian brands But surprisingly, its latest convertible is based on a Japanese car, Mazda’s “celebrated” MX-5 The 124 Spider, which marks the manufacturer’s return to the roadster market after a decade-long absence, shares the Mazda’s wheelbase and cabin But it has its own turbocharged Fiat engine, and a “substantially” different exterior The Daily Telegraph Despite its binational origins, the car still looks distinctly Italian: with “bug-eyed headlamps, a power-bulged bonnet and flowing hips”, it’s more handsome and “curvaceous” than the MX-5 And though the changes to the trim are minor, they give the “copycat Mazda” interior a Fiat feel The manual roof can be folded quickly, with just one hand, and is “brilliantly simple to use” Auto Express Like the MX-5, the 124 Spider is quick and fun to drive, though “in a slightly different way” It feels more “grown-up”, and more “relaxed on the move” The engine can be unresponsive at lower speeds, but refinement is impressive – it’s fairly quiet in the cabin Fiat has done a “fine job”: it may be a little more expensive than its Japanese twin, but this is still a “terrific sports car” The best… toasters Morphy Richards Chroma An excellent, reliable allrounder, at a low price, the Chroma browns bread evenly and has a particularly effective crumb tray (£22; www.argos.co.uk) Tips of the week… old-fashioned cleaning ● Rhubarb contains oxalic acid, which is a great stain remover You can clean an enamel pan by stewing a stick of rhubarb in it and leaving it for a few hours The liquid can also be used to remove rust stains from carpets ● Use vinegar to perk up the colours on patterned rugs or carpets Add half a cup to two cups of water, and gently press the solution into the rug ● To remove dry tea or coffee stains, put half a cup of borax or citric acid in a washing-up bowl of water and soak the fabric for around half an hour Half a cup of methylated spirits will also the job ● If moths are eating your carpet, get rid of them using ammonia, which is available from chemists Add one fluid ounce (around 30ml) to a bowl of boiling water, and soak a cloth in it Wring the cloth out thoroughly, lay it out on the moth-eaten area of the carpet, and press hard with an iron on its highest heat You’ll have to repeat the process a few times SOURCE: THE SUNDAY TIMES THE WEEK July 2016 And for fo those w who have everythin ng… ▲ ▲ ▲ Bugatti Volo Available in a range of bold colours, this sleek machine is efficient, toasting quickly It comes with useful accessories, including sandwich cages and a bun-warming rack, but the regular slots are a bit narrow (£170; www.amara.com) ▲ Sage the Smart Toast This toaster is packed with useful features: there’s a “Quick Look” function, which lets you glimpse the bread while it’s still toasting; and “A Bit More”, if you want to pop it back in for a tiny bit longer Choose from a two-slice or four-slice model (from £130; www johnlewis.com) Graef Long Slot The elegant Long Slot is perfect for people who like their bread thickly sliced, but it can accommodate almost any size And it has an extra-long cable, making it well suited to kitchens with few sockets (from £110; www johnlewis.com) Apps… App f organising yourr life for Wund li makes W Wunderlist k iit easy y to create ate to-do lists and to set deadlines and reminders remin for getting tasks done It also has handy collaboration features, enabling you to share lists with others (free, with in-app purchases; Androids/iOS/Windows) 30/30 breaks down your day into manageable chunks You assign a length of time for each task; it then counts down the minutes, telling you when to finish (free, with purchases; iOS) Handmade from Canadian maple, design brand Linley’s skateboards feature a laseretched image of the London skyline: choose from the Shard, Canary Wharf or St Paul’s £750; www.davidlinley.com SOURCE: THE INDEPENDENT Boxer helps you get through your emails efficiently Just swipe to delete messages, and send automated replies – or even a “like” acknowledging you saw an email (free with purchases, Android; £4, iOS) Habitica motivates you to complete tasks by turning your life into a video game You start with a character, and each time you tick something off your to-do list, you gain access to new armour and levels Conversely, if you slack off, your character becomes weaker (free; Android/iOS) SOURCES: THE GUARDIAN/TIME SOURCES: THE INDEPENDENT/T3/THE DAILY TELEGR LEGRAPH ▲ Magimix Vision The Vision lets you keep an eye on your toast as it cooks, thanks to clear glass panels on either side It also benefits from wide slots and a great feature that lets you toast just one side of the slice (£145; www argos.co.uk) Obituaries 43 Unparalleled chronicler of the Vietnam war “No one had a greater effect Michael Herr on how the Vietnam war 1940-2016 has been processed in our popular consciousness than Michael Herr,” said Elliot Ackerman on The Daily Beast As the author of Dispatches – one of the most visceral books ever written about the experience of front-line war – and the co-writer of Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket, he didn’t just describe warfare: he shaped our “modern conception of it” Young soldiers marching off to subsequent conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan had his imagery “flickering in their heads, snatches of his dialogue trigger-ready on their tongues” When I was serving in Iraq myself, said Ackerman, I often heard my fellow soldiers quote Apocalypse Now – “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” – after an air strike And when people ask me what it was like fighting in Fallujah, the best description I can come up with is: “Exactly like the battle scenes in Full Metal Jacket.” we’re wearing?” asked one soldier But he turned this outsider status to his advantage, travelling without restrictions, hitching helicopter rides to the front line, and “embedding” himself with troops long before it became common practice Surrounded by infantrymen, many of them still teenagers, and immersed in chaos and death, he abandoned objectivity “You cannot be detached,” he said “If you are, you don’t get it.” Herr never produced much for Esquire (by his own account, he was too busy “smoking a ton of dope and making notes”), but on his return to New York he spent 18 months writing the book that became Dispatches Reliving his experiences on paper took him to the brink of collapse “Real despair for three or four years,” he later recalled “Deep paralysis I split up with my wife for a year I didn’t see anybody because I didn’t want anybody to see me.” Herr: “You cannot be detached” Michael David Herr, who has died aged 76, grew up in Syracuse, New York, where his father worked as a jeweller Herr later described his younger self as a “nice, middle-class, educated Jewish boy who as a kid had every nervous tic and allergy possible” Yet he also had a taste for adventure, said The Washington Post After school he went to Syracuse University, where he contributed to a literary magazine edited by Joyce Carol Oates But he dropped out in order to travel around Europe, and then became a freelance writer He struck up a friendship with Esquire editor Harold Hayes, and proposed writing a monthly column from Vietnam Hayes agreed, although he later admitted that he didn’t expect much to come of it: “I got him a visa and advanced him $500 then forgot about him.” Writing for a glossy magazine made Herr an oddity among the press corp in Vietnam, said The Daily Telegraph “Have you come to write about what “Written with the residual rhythms of the 1960s, redolent of drugs and rock’n’roll”, Dispatches was partly fictionalised, said The New York Times Yet the picture it painted was so authentic that it was instantly recognised as “an exemplar of the kind of fiction that is truer than fact” John le Carré called it “the best book I have ever read on men and war in our time”; for the critic John Leonard, it was “as if Dante had gone to hell with a cassette recording of Jimi Hendrix and a pocketful of pills” Herr recoiled from the fame it brought him, and moved to Britain for ten years in search of a quiet life But he did agree to write the trance-like narration (voiced by Martin Sheen) in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now He also became good friends with Stanley Kubrick – a fellow American expat in Britain – and collaborated with him on the writing of Full Metal Jacket In later life, Herr became a devotee of Buddhism, which he said helped him finally come to terms with the horrors he had seen He is survived by his wife and two daughters © CAMERA PRESS / JANE BOWN The shy, retiring Leopard Man of Skye Tom Leppard, who has died relatively easy to tattoo He simply figured that if Tom Leppard aged 80, was once the world’s he was known for something, he’d be able to 1935-2016 most tattooed man, and though afford to move from London – which he hated – he eventually lost that title, he was still recognised to the solitude of the Hebrides, because people as the world’s most tattooed senior citizen Yet would pay to see him or interview him In other his outlandish appearance, covered from head to words, he decided to make himself famous in toe in leopard spots, was strangely at odds with order to live as a hermit his personality A reserved, softly spoken Englishman, he loved the natural world, and spent 20 He had 99.2% of his body covered with tattoos, years living alone in a ruined cottage on the at a cost of £5,500 He also had a pair of southwest coast of the Isle of Skye His removable fangs made Then, in 1987, he moved windowless shelter had an earthen floor, no to Skye Over the next few years, photos of him running water and no electricity Once a week, cavorting near-naked in the wilderness around year-round, he’d get in a canoe and paddle three his bothy duly became a staple of newspaper miles to the mainland, to go to the small superfeatures pages He didn’t relish these performmarket at Kyle of Lochalsh to buy tins of beans Leppard: record for most tattoos ances, however It was, “a necessary evil to and ratatouille, which he’d heat on a primus supplement my income support, or latterly, my stove Inevitably, he became known as the Leopard Man of Skye pension” Interviewers found a quiet, thoughtful man who took evident pleasure in Skye’s wild beauty and who, though reclusive, Little is known of the Leopard Man’s early life, said The Daily was well liked locally He prayed for hours a day (he was a Telegraph He is believed to have been born Tom Woodbridge, Catholic), and read and reread his few books (most of which were either in Suffolk or London, in 1935, and to have joined the Navy about the Indian colonial services) He was beset by cold in the aged 15 Later, he served as a colour sergeant in the Rhodesian winter, and midges in the summer, but insisted he was content special forces He managed to get through 28 years in the armed “I wanted to live like this,” he told a film-maker “To me, this is forces without a single tattoo Yet on retiring, he resolved to heaven.” As time wore on, however, he began to struggle with the become the world’s most tattooed person He had no interest in sea crossing to the shops and, aged 72, he packed his belongings body art, said The Scotsman; nor did he have any “affinity” with into two bin bags, and went to live in a small house in a nearby leopards: he chose their spots because he knew they would be village Subsequently, he moved to a care home in Inverness July 2016 THE WEEK THE BEST IN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AND DECORATION House & Garden is the world’s most authoritative and nd inspirational i pi ti al d decorating atin magazine zi Its It smart, sophisticated, directional content juxtaposes crisp modernism with styles that 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addresses and to direct debit payments only until 31/12/2016 For privacy policy and permission details, log on to www.magazineboutique.co.uk/youraccount CITY Companies in the news and how they were assessed CITY 45 London Stock Exchange/Deutsche Börse: Out is out? “You’d think the Germans might be getting a bit twitchy about having their stock exchange headquartered in London, the nominal capital of Brexit Britain,” said Alistair Osborne in The Times “So it’s nice to hear that everything is going swimmingly” – at least according to the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Börse, which reassured us this week that their £21bn merger was still on Really? In Germany, things don’t look so rosy, said Daniel Dunkley in The Sunday Times Politicians in Hesse, Frankfurt’s home state, “rounded on the planned merger” after the Leave vote, arguing that it is simply “not possible” to have the merged entity based outside the EU – not least because Britain’s trading rules and regulations may now evolve differently The upshot is that the merger, which would have created one of the world’s largest bourses, “is on a knife-edge” That’s no bad thing, said Alex Brummer in the Daily Mail London was already the junior partner in this “merger of equals”, and the tumbling pound, combined with an 8.6% fall in the LSE share price, could mean a price adjustment that would “give DB an even bigger stake” Shareholders are set to decide on 12 July, said Osborne – so there’s “plenty of time to get real” Foxtons et al: property shock We can expect “the Brexit theme” to be “embroidered a thousand times in gloomy updates from listed companies”, said Jonathan Guthrie in the Financial Times “It is a more zeitgeisty excuse for flagging profits than the perennial standby of the weather.” But withdrawing from the EU “will also cause genuine economic damage” – as this week’s profit warning from Foxtons emphasised Shares in the London estate agent plunged more than 20%, after it issued a profit warning claiming that the vote had increased uncertainty in the housing market Foxtons joined a raft of housebuilders who have been “bricking it” since the vote, said Simon Duke in The Sunday Times The largest, Taylor Wimpey, saw shares sink by as much as 40% last Friday, before finishing the day down “just” 24% – an unwelcome reminder of the “near-death experience” the industry suffered after 2008 Any downturn in the economy is bound to hit the property market But Britain still needs to build 250,000 homes a year to accommodate its growing population, and last year managed just 140,000 “A bonfire of red tape and planning laws – which a radical PM could promise, to revive the economy – could help builders finally hit the 250,000 mark But I’ll believe it when I see it.” Italian banks: the elephant is loose “Italy’s banks are the Achilles’ heel of the eurozone financial system,” said Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in The Daily Telegraph And this week they were the first to feel the impact of Brexit After shares in banks including Intesa Sanpaolo, Banca MPS, Mediobanca and UniCredit crashed for a second trading day on Monday, the Italian PM, Matteo Renzi, announced a g40bn rescue plan, pledging “to take all steps necessary to ensure stability” Officials are likely to implement a direct state recapitalisation funded by a special bond issue “This is the moment of truth we have all been awaiting for a long time,” said a top Italian banker “We just didn’t know it would be Brexit that set the elephant loose.” Seven days in the Square Mile Global markets regained a measure of poise following the turmoil triggered by the Brexit vote The pound steadied and European and US equity markets looked on firmer ground The FTSE 100 gained 2% midweek: after wild swings it was up by 8% from last Friday The Chancellor surfaced to reassure the nation that the economy is “strong” The “emergency Budget” announced before the vote has been postponed till the autumn Britain’s EU Commissioner Lord Hill, who was in charge of financial services across the bloc, resigned S&P stripped the UK of its AAA credit rating, following similar downgrades from Moody’s and Fitch The US urged European governments to “ease off on austerity” in order to boost economic growth and contain the populist backlash that contributed to the Brexit vote Analysts predicted that central banks globally may make further interest rate cuts to cushion economies against the uncertainty There were warnings that thousands of City jobs could be lost unless a deal can secure “passporting” arrangements with the EU François Hollande said London should no longer be able to clear eurodenominated trades Morgan Stanley denied rumours that it was moving 2,000 staff to Frankfurt or Dublin Vodafone warned that it could move its HQ out of the UK Volkswagen agreed to pay $15bn to settle lawsuits relating to its emissions-cheating scandal French economist Thomas Piketty resigned as Jeremy Corbyn’s economic adviser RBS/Barclays/HSBC: political chaos hits banks hard Compared to the battering taken by the major European stock indices, the FTSE-100 proved relatively resilient to the Brexit shock – with the exception of housebuilders, travel companies and banks Indeed, banks’ share prices “are pointing to serious discomfort, if not outright distress”, said Patrick Hosking in The Times Once the smoke cleared, Barclays was down 31%, RBS by 30%, and “tiddlers” Virgin Money and Aldermore by 44% and 45% respectively “The size of those moves is not dissimilar to those in the depths of the crisis in 2008.” interest rate cut will hit already wafer-thin margins, and that “slower economic growth could lead to a rise in bad loans”, said Tim Wallace in The Daily Telegraph Yet the sell-off looks more like a reflection of general “political chaos” than the underlying fundamentals – “the Brexit vote is nothing like the financial crisis of 2008” As BoE Governor Mark Carney has pointed out, “banks are better capitalised than then and should be able to keep lending even if the economy worsens” Of the big banks, only HSBC has escaped relatively unscathed, thanks to its very global Banks have been pummelled mainly operations But being “international” doesn’t “because their sterling earnings are worth make it immune to market ructions, said Mia HSBC: unscathed? less”, said Roger Blitz in the FT They might Lamar in The Wall Street Journal Hedge funds have compensated in the past by making money out of the in Asia have begun shorting (betting against) Hong Kong-listed pound’s fall, “but regulations have curbed their ability to profit HSBC shares in droves They view the bank as a safe “bearish from forex volatility” Investors are also worried that a possible bet” on Britain’s falling post-Brexit fortunes July 2016 THE WEEK 46 CITY Talking points Issue of the week: recovering from Brexit The initial financial shock has passed But without a plan Britain risks further mayhem A week has passed since “a puffy-eyed” advantage of the record-low cost of David Cameron announced his resignation, government borrowing to upgrade our said The Economist In that time, the pound infrastructure will far more “to secure has tumbled, investment decisions have been the economy” than arguing about the vote postponed, and firms have talked of moving “A quick compromise” with Europe “would operations overseas Britain has been stripped certainly make sense for both sides”, said of its triple-A credit rating; and there is still no James Mackintosh in The Wall Street Journal sign of a post-Brexit “plan” The Bank of “It would minimise pressure on the British England governor, Mark Carney, defused the economy and provide certainty for investors initial panic by announcing that he stood everywhere in Europe.” But what are the ready to release £250bn of emergency loans, chances of achieving it? “Not only does the should the financial system seize up Yet UK have no trade negotiators”, it currently Carney’s efforts to shore up confidence were has “no negotiation position” either sabotaged by continued attacks from Brexiters calling for his replacement, said Chris Giles in Scratching around for positives earlier this the Financial Times Given that the BoE is week, the former Bank of England governor, Carney: defused initial panic currently the only “fully functional part of the Lord [Mervyn] King, said that sterling’s preBritish economic establishment”, they would be wise to lay off referendum level of $1.50 was “too high for the good of the country anyway” He’s right, said Nils Pratley in The Guardian “Okay, can everyone stop whingeing?” asked Matthew Lynn in Britain’s current account deficit hit a peacetime record of 5.2% The Daily Telegraph “For all the hysteria and scaremongering, in 2015 – “a dangerous level that cannot be sustained the British economy will be just fine outside the EU” – if we keep indefinitely” A lower exchange rate, boosting exports and our heads and “adopt the right policies right away” Most dampening imports, “offers the most credible cure” If foreign importantly, we must “stop obsessing about the European investors “could see the ingredients of a post-Brexit recovery”, market” We need to get the new trading arrangement with the they would return – restoring confidence in the economy and EU sorted quickly (ideally along the lines of Norway’s deal), and giving the BoE more “room for manoeuvre on monetary policy” then “start focusing on the rest of the world” Practical steps such But that “sketch of a recovery” requires “competence in as joining other trade blocs, lifting burdensome taxes and taking government” – something that Britain currently sorely lacks Briefing: the markets and your money The City was caught badly on the hop, but some investors are already bargain-hunting Lehman redux? to safety sent government bond prices in Stay calm, urged the Chancellor on the US, Germany, Japan, and Britain Monday morning Fat chance of that, said sharply higher UK ten-year gilt yields Nils Pratley in The Guardian “Markets (which move inversely to prices) fell paused for half an hour and then resumed below 1% for the first time ever their falls”, heaping ridicule on Boris Brexiters dubbed this “a vote of Johnson’s earlier pronouncement that “the confidence” But tumbling bond yields pound is stable, the markets are stable” are a disaster for pensions, because This wasn’t “a Lehman moment”, Martin annuity rates are so closely correlated, said Lewis of MoneySavingExpert told The The Times Several insurers have already Observer But there were times when it felt slashed annuity rates by 2-3% like it “Very few investors were positioned for the vote we got,” observed Nicholas Interest rates and house prices Colas of Convergex in the FT Hence, there “Intense pressure on sterling would A currency trader in London last Friday was a vicious unwinding of positions as normally force the Bank of England into traders attempted to gauge the potential fallout Overall, global raising interest rates,” said Patrick Collinson in The Observer stock markets lost a record $3trn in two trading days But with sentiment so battered, if they move at all they’re more likely to fall If inflation rockets, mortgage rates could ultimately Sterling, lower still? “soar”, but there’s no immediate worry, agreed Holly Black in The pound’s immediate 10% plunge against the dollar was the Daily Mail Anxiety about spiralling house prices may also be described by one currency dealer as “a blood bath for the over-egged Britain’s housing shortage “should keep property unprepared”, said Jessica Bown in The Sunday Times Further prices stable, even if they suffer a short-term setback” falls this week took it to below $1.32, the lowest point since 1985 But many currency strategists think $1.20, or even $1.10, Equities: where next? is a possibility The pound fell against the euro too: at one stage The internationally focused FTSE 100 got away lightly in hitting a low of g1.20 (15% down on last summer) But since the contrast to much greater falls on European markets, said Ben euro also looks to be a casualty of renewed speculation over the Wright in The Daily Telegraph “A much better gauge of fears health of the EU, that may not last “Sterling’s one saving grace,” about the UK economy” is the FTSE 250, which plummeted noted dealer David Lamb of Fexco, “is that the euro is likely to almost 14% Are the falls overdone? Fund managers are divided be hit almost as hard.” Star manager Neil Woodford urges us to “peer through the shortterm uncertainty”, suggesting that the UK economy will not be Gilts: safe havens for some “influenced significantly” in the long run; while Richard Buxton One consolation for Britain, said Richard Barley in The Wall of Old Mutual has issued blood-curdling warnings about the Street Journal, is that “a toxic combination of weaker sterling impact of Britain’s likely “DIY recession” As ever in times of and rising government bond yields has been avoided” The flight turbulence, the best advice for now is to sit tight THE WEEK July 2016 “It’s not just security It’s defence.” Cyber threats have changed, and the solutions need to change too The sophisticated techniques BAE Systems uses to protect government and military assets are now helping to defend businesses around the world Learn more at BAEsystems.com/cyberdefence Copyright © 2016 BAE Systems plc All rights reserved COMPETITIVELY PRICED BULLION T s is what saf y looks ke T H E N E W G O L D S TA N DA R D Full members of the LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) sharpspixley.com | +44 (0)20 7871 0532 | 54 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1JT GERMANY | SWITZERLAND | SINGAPORE | SPAIN Commentators Dark clouds loom over open skies Gulliver The Economist A way round the “passport” problem? Patrick Jenkins Financial Times Brexit dulls Britain’s appeal to Asia Una Galani Reuters BreakingViews.com The message from business: get on with it Patrick Hosking The Times “Open skies” have “truly democratised” European travel since deregulation in the 1990s, says Gulliver “No one who books a one-way fare from London to Budapest for the cost of a takeaway meal can help but marvel at the efficiency of the continent’s aviation market.” The fear now, reflected in crashing airline shares, is that “the spoils have been thrown away by Brexiters” Much depends on our new relationship with the EU If Britain stays within the Single Aviation Market, which gives unfettered access to EU airports, aviation would be effectively “immune” to Brexit Yet the most likely path – joining the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) – has parallels with membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) “In both cases, signing up to the club means handing over some decision-making to Brussels.” Britain has key bargaining points: London is Europe’s financial capital and its most popular tourism destination – and Heathrow is the continent’s biggest hub But everything depends “on the mood and fairness of the divorce proceedings with Brussels” For many banks, the biggest argument for supporting Remain was the fear that the “passport” allowing them to operate across the single market might be revoked – removing “much of the logic” for basing operations in London, says Patrick Jenkins Still, optimists claim to have found “a glimmer of hope” in the incoming Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (Mifir), which will extend many of the rights enjoyed by EU “passport” holders to financial groups operating outside the bloc Handily, it is due to come into force in 2018 “Given that it would take a good two years for the UK to disentangle itself from the EU, the transition could be smooth.” Well, perhaps But there are “serious caveats” Mifir provisions aren’t comprehensive; and there’s a “political risk” that the UK may not qualify If, for instance, Britain revokes the EU cap on bank bonuses, the Commission “could cry foul”, particularly if under pressure to boost other financial centres such as Paris These new rules might provide a fallback for banks But the “more radical” option of moving people to other EU locations is probably still “plan A” Brexit has come as a big shock to “Asia Inc”, says Una Galani Britain no longer looks like the “sunny safe haven” it was Companies historically drawn to Britain’s “stable market, openness to foreign investment, and access to the European Union” must now “grapple with a weak currency, political disarray and a likely recession” And although Asian-owned carmakers and steelmakers with UK plants will benefit from sterling’s slide when exporting to the continent, “the uncertainty over potential EU import tariffs is likely to cancel out those gains” Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover’s plan to open a factory in Slovakia “may now seem even more attractive” And after a referendum “marred by hostility to immigration”, Asian business “will feel less welcome” A majority of voters in Sunderland, for example, opted to leave the EU, even though the Japanese carmaker Nissan has a big plant in the city Even if Britain eventually works out an amicable divorce with the EU, the shock and political upheaval will have lasting effects Asian firms with the option of investing elsewhere in Europe “will so” The Conservative Party has given itself “a leisurely two months” to choose a new PM, says Patrick Hosking Companies don’t have the same luxury “Myriad unduckable decisions still have to be made every day despite the political and economic murk.” And it is those immediate decisions that will determine Britain’s economic fate “A rush to shelve new projects, defer hiring, ease back on new orders or run down inventories would spell certain recession.” There is still “some bullishness” out there A postreferendum poll by the Institute of Directors found that 34% of bosses planned to hire at the same pace as before or faster, and 54% have no plans as yet to cut investment But “no one’s going to be blamed for conserving every penny until the dust settles”, and “caution could snowball quickly into business paralysis” Any company in the midst of a crisis would “rightly be condemned” if there was a vacuum after the resignation of its chief executive “It’s not entirely clear why things should be any different for the country The Tories need to get on with it.” CITY 49 City profiles George Soros “It wouldn’t be a proper EU-related economic ballsup without George Soros making a few quid,” says Sean Farrell in The Observer “And so it came to pass.” The financier, who “broke” the Bank of England by betting against the pound in 1992, has cleaned up again from Brexit – this time by betting on gold The gold price, already up strongly as the referendum approached, jumped 22% in sterling terms when the result was announced, as did shares in gold and silver miners – including Soros’s favoured picks, Barrick Gold and Silver Wheaton Four days before the vote, Soros, 85, warned that Brexit would lead to a “Black Friday”, and make some people “very rich” but most voters “considerably poorer” It’s clear which camp he’s in Crispin Odey The Mayfair hedge-funder, best known in poultry circles for building “a Romanesque temple to house his prized chickens”, has also made hay from the vote, says Reuters A prominent backer of the Leave campaign, Odey bet more than £7.5bn of his firm’s assets on a Brexit outcome, and reportedly made more than £220m personally from plunging markets He said after the vote that “he had been 100% net short across his investment portfolio”, and had also made a lucrative punt on gold It’s been a nail-biting time for Odey, 57, who was formerly married to Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, Prudence Prior to the vote, his fund suffered badly from his hunch, falling 29% in the year to June “I think I may be the winner”, he concluded, but “I’ve had a pretty tough year” July 2016 THE WEEK [...]... Bradshaw in The Guardian Yet this “entertaining” comedy fills in the blanks with aplomb The film rather hams up the contrast between the two men, said Henry Fitzherbert in the Sunday Express The problem is that the “square” president’s hope that the king of rock’n’roll will lend him some cred with the kids is essentially the film’s only joke; and in the end “there’s nothing funny about the loathsome... citizens in the UK? make things worse, the UK s agreements with other WTO memThe Leave campaign has given assurances that any new bers might need to be renegotiated, since they were agreed with immigration system won’t affect EU the EU as a whole Many of these The legal vacuum citizens who are already in Britain: nations are already negotiating with Undoing the supremacy of EU law over UK law would they’ll... Juncker I am very sad we are from abroad, and subsequently leaving the EU, but the thrown on the unemployment administration of both the pile, further straining the EU and the UK need local economy fundamental reform We, the little people, or Immigration would not be even the big boys that such a problem if the UK built apparently run the country, homes and infrastructure and haven’t got full control... Europe Voting to leave the EU is the easy bit: the hard part comes in working out a new settlement with the Union How does one withdraw from the EU? dilemma: if the UK is to gain access to the The process is straightforward on the face Single Market – for instance, by rejoining of it It’s set out in Article 50 of the Lisbon the European Economic Area – it will Treaty First, the leader of a departing... and misled so grievously would turn on them The fear in their eyes shows they know it.” “Ashamed Terrified Shocked Horrified.” That tweet by a performing artist typified the reaction of the “culturati” and liberal media to the referendum result I feel much the same, says Libby Purves: only not about the vote, but about the hysterical response of the chattering classes The lamentations over our withdrawal... to make them get a note that tells their employer “what their employer probably knows already” GPs carry out 40 million more appointments a year now than they did five years ago However, critics dubbed the proposal a “skivers’ charter” and the Government said it had no plans to change the rules 2 July 2016 THE WEEK 20 NEWS Talking points A divided nation: the revolt against the elite An archduke falls,... party Jamie Oliver claimed this week that he would leave the country if the former London mayor becomes the nation’s next leader In a post on Instagram, the celebrity chef said that although the referendum hadn’t gone the way he’d hoped, “in my own way I will now roll up my THE WEEK 2 July 2016 Nigel Farage was always marked out as a man of destiny, says The Times When the UKIP leader left Dulwich College,... will have to arrange for the winding down of UK contributions to proportion of the UK economy is dependent on EU exports the EU; the closure of EU agencies in Britain such as the European (12.6%, according to official figures) than vice versa: only 3.1% Banking Authority; and, most complex of all, the untangling of of the EU’s economy relies on exports to the UK In any case, the shared laws and regulations... would they’ll have all the rights they have the EU – and, as Barack Obama said, be relatively easy: the European Communities Act 1972 now The hope is that Britons on the we’d be “at the back of the queue” would be repealed But that would only be the start continent will be similarly protected: The EU has sole legal responsibility for many vital the Vienna Convention states that So they’ve got us over... Freedman The Atlantic “Legislation by tantrum.” That’s what the Democrats were up to last week, says Ross K Baker, with their childish sit-in protest in the House of Representatives over gun control For two days, more than 200 of them occupied the chamber, chanting and preventing legislators from getting any business done When the cameras were turned off, they used their phones to live-stream their protest ... editorialadmin@theweek.co .uk Subscriptions: 0844 844 0086; overseas +44(0)1795 592921; theweek@servicehelpline.co .uk The Week is licensed to The Week Limited by Dennis Publishing Limited The Week is... Voting to leave the EU is the easy bit: the hard part comes in working out a new settlement with the Union How does one withdraw from the EU? dilemma: if the UK is to gain access to the The process... by the East Midlands, the Northeast, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East The vote was divided 52% Leave, 48% Remain Overall, 17,410,742 people voted to Leave; 16,141,241 to Remain The only English