Heatwaves, sporting changes and political backtracks. If you were out of the loop this week, we’ve got you covered.
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They’re out! Wimbledon dumps its well dressed line judges for AI voices
This year there will be no line judges at Wimbledon. Instead, electronic line calling will be used. Here’s what the papers have to say about it.
The Daily Telegraph
“Thus, for the first time… there will be no line judges,” writes William Sitwell. “No more the sight of folk in striped blazers as the ball lands near their line, crossing their hands to indicate it was in or thrusting out an arm and yelling ‘Out!’. Gone will be those Ralph Lauren designs, the crisp white trousers and the peaked caps. Instead, a disembodied cry will ring out. And if the computer says no, then there was no chalk dust. Thus, Wimbledon strives to be like everyone else, shedding a key element of its magical tradition.”
The Spectator
“Two weeks of wall-to-wall coverage of the sport for people who hate sport,” writes Stephen Pollard. “The most boring game, the most boring athletes, the most boring audience, the most boring commentators. Nothing better illustrates the intrinsic dullness than that the most exotic element of the entire thing is the scoring system.”
What we say
“Wimbledon has always been an arena of thrills and spills; rows and tantrums; sex and scandals — before the games even begin,” writes Alice Cockerell. “It is an intoxicating combination: fanatic royals, Pimm’s-fuelled commoners and hepped-up athletes. Singles champions will take home £3 million; being knocked out in the first round will net £66,000. I feel the tournament will be stormy. Bookies are taking record bets, but there’s one thing we don’t have to gamble on: Wimbledon is not all strawberries and cream.”
Royal train to be axed in Palace cost-saving measure
The King this week approved the decommissioning of the royal train following the publication of family’s annual accounts. Here’s what the papers had to say about it.
The Daily Telegraph
“The royal train dates to the time of Queen Victoria, who commissioned the carriages in 1869 and used it many times during her long reign. Subsequent monarchs also used the royal train regularly, especially the late Queen Elizabeth. The King, by contrast, is less enamoured of this mode of transport. In 2024 he used it just once and a review of royal costs has now concluded the train should be pensioned off in 2027. This is a shame since the royal train has long been part of the national fabric. But when other departments of state are trying to get a grip on spending it is probably unavoidable — provided alternatives like travelling by helicopter do not turn out to be even more expensive.”
Daily Mail
“Many will feel a twinge of both pride and sadness that the nation which actually invented the train — this year marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway — has now decided to scrap what is, effectively, our national train,” writes Robert Hardman. “It seems inconceivable that if, say, the French or the Americans or the Chinese had invented locomotion, they would be scrapping their grandest example. However, these days, the royal train seldom leaves its shed, just outside Milton Keynes.”
The Daily Mirror
“It’s never easy to part with something which holds so much sentimental value — even if that is a nine-carriage train. The King’s decision to retire the royal loco, loved by the late Queen, is wise. With two trips last year costing £78,000, the train had become harder to justify, especially with the public purse strings tighter than ever. Charles is signalling his commitment to a leaner, more cost-aware monarchy — one in step with the times.”
What we say
The royal train is being derailed as King Charles has decided the £1.5 million annual running costs are unjustifiable. The first monarch to travel by rail was Queen Victoria in 1842. She saw travelling the country and meeting the people as a key duty. But a trip in the royal train costs about four times more than by plane. Charles has gone with his “less pomp, more purpose” mantra. Let us hope the train can go on permanent public display for future generations to enjoy.
London swelters while severe heat hits southern Europe
As London melted in 30C this week, parts of Europe experiences even higher temperatures. Here’s what the papers have to say about it.
Politico
“Europe must act quickly… thousands of excess deaths are predicted in the coming days,” writes Rory O’Neill. “Southern Europe is in the midst of a heatwave with temperatures up to 46C. The World Health Organisation has warned climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels, means heatwaves will become more frequent, dangerous and intense, leading to more illness and death.”
The Daily Mirror
“This heat is a taster of what’s to come unless we stop chopping down forests, drastically cut emissions and end reliance on fossil fuels. If this is what Britain looks like at 1.3C of global warming increases, 2C or 3C will be catastrophic.”
What we say
“The capital really does experience higher temperatures than other areas of the country,” writes Bob Ward. “Many offices and homes are poorly ventilated. Hundreds of Londoners die every summer due to heatwaves. The Mayor must make resilience to heat and climate change a priority for his new London Plan. It should make sure new and existing buildings are better suited to deal with heat, and should stop developments on green belt land that increase the urban heat island effect.”
Welfare climbdown puts Keir Starmer in weakened position
Following rebellion from MPs, the Prime Minister backtracked parts of his controversial welfare bill this week. Here’s what the papers had to say about it.
The Times
“The Government’s failure to implement meaningful welfare reform is not only bad for Britain with its hopelessly bloated state, but it opens up a huge fiscal black hole for Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor. As well as the £4.5 billion gap created by the welfare retreat, the decision to restore the winter fuel allowance adds another £1.25 billion. The Government is now in real danger of losing fiscal credibility, and suffering the dire consequences in terms of borrowing costs that come with it. These reforms should have marked the start, not the end, of the process of making the welfare bill sustainable. Instead, Sir Keir has shown himself incapable of reining in the state and stabilising public finances. As he prepares to celebrate his first year in No 10, the Prime Minister is a much-diminished and more vulnerable figure.”
The Independent
“He has to regain his authority over his party — and remind them who they owe their seats to, and the reality of the ultimate catastrophe of handing power to Nigel Farage. There is much more to be done. On schools, social care, social security, local services, housing, the cost of living and irregular migration, the public is impatient for that word we heard so often this time last year: ‘change’. ”
The Sun
“Normally, a government with a huge majority would mark its first year by trumpeting a raft of achievements. Sir Keir Starmer’s No 10 has chosen to blast itself in both feet.”
What we say
The Prime Minister gutted his welfare bill at the last minute by removing plans to restrict eligibility for personal independence payments in order to head off the Government’s first Commons defeat. Changes to Pip will now be delayed until after a review not due to conclude until autumn 2026. With no clarity on when the changes will be enacted or what they might entail, the Chancellor now faces a fiscal headache as a forecast £4.8bn in welfare savings have been whittled away to nothing — making the prospect of autumn tax rises look more likely. As the Government prepares to mark the anniversary, it’s clear that there is little to celebrate.
BBC under pressure after band’s ‘death to the IDF’ chants at Glastonbury
The BBC’s broadcast of rap group Bob Vylan’s “death, death to the IDF” chants at this year’s Glastonbury festival has been a hot topic this week. Here’s what the papers have to say about it.
Daily Mail
“It is the BBC that made the greatest misjudgment in this case — because its perspective has been warped by its obsession with Glastonbury as an enormously significant cultural landmark, treating the festival with uncritical reverence. No expense was spared. Hundreds of BBC staffers descended on Worthy Farm.
“Yet for all its resources, the BBC failed to conduct even basic checks on Bob Vylan — or to intervene when their set descended into an anti-Semitic rant. Once again, the credibility of our national broadcaster is in tatters.”
The Spectator
“Properly understood, incitement means not just nasty comments, but speech likely to lead to imminent lawless violence,” writes Laurie Wastell. “As John Stuart Mill had it, saying ‘death to corn dealers’ is incitement if it is shouted to an angry mob outside the corn dealer’s house — said in another context, it is merely a distasteful opinion. Did Glasto’s middle-class crusties proceed to put down the natural wine, pack up their tents and carry out a pogrom? It’s certainly not as if Hamas, a death cult burning with a violent, genocidal hatred of Jews, is waiting to hear from a band of mouth-breathing leftie gimps in a field in Somerset to tell them how to feel about the IDF. Sometimes, nasty words are just nasty words. Not prosecuting Bob Vylan would deny them the opportunity to pose as anti-establishment martyrs.”
The i Paper
“The truth is most people attending this famously liberal event are probably more agitated over Rod Stewart’s expression of support for Nigel Farage — a highly unusual tactic to attract a Glastonbury audience — in the wake of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza,” writes Ian Birrell.
What we say
“Talk of prosecuting BBC executives or Bob Vylan is just silly,” writes Melanie McDonagh. “Somerset and Avon police are investigating whether there may have been criminal offences committed; Ofcom is calling for an investigation from the BBC. It’s a waste of time and money. When it comes to the stupid performer, prosecution would gratify his self-regard enormously; as for the BBC it would dignify incompetence as malice. Someone should have stopped the live stream; someone didn’t. Some named person should take responsibility. Glastonbury is a wonderful oxymoron, an exclusive hangout of would-be rebels, calling for open borders in a walled-off enclave for people paying £400 for a ticket. Meanwhile, Bobby Vylan issued a message about his daughter filling in a form asking for her school dinners to be more healthy and more global: ‘Listening to her voice, her opinions on a matter she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me we may not be doomed after all.’ Intifada one day, school dinners the next. Hardly worth shutting him down, is it?”
