Tuesday, March 26

Keir Starmer faces police investigation over ‘beergate’ | uknews


The Labor leader, Keir Starmer, will face a police investigation into allegations he broke lockdown rules by having a bottle of beer.

Durham police faced mounting calls to investigate and held off until now because of the local elections.

The force had previously said there were no grounds to investigate the beer and takeaway meal that took place in a Labor constituency office in Durham last April during campaigning for the Hartlepool byelection.

A changing story from Labor is part of the reason for the change in police thinking. The party initially claimed the deputy leader, Angela Rayner, was not present, but then admitted she was her.

In a statement, Durham police said: “Earlier this year, Durham constabulary carried out an assessment as to whether Covid-19 regulations had been breached at a gathering in Durham City on 30 April 2021.

“At that time, it was concluded that no offense had been established and therefore no further action would be taken. Following the receipt of significant new information over recent days, Durham constabulary has reviewed that position and now, following the conclusion of the pre-election period, we can confirm that an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations relating to this gathering is now being conducted.”

A Labor party spokesperson said: “We’re obviously happy to answer any
questions there are and we remain clear that no rules were broken.”

The investigation into whether lockdown rules were broken will be similar to that Durham held into Dominic Cummings in 2020, when the then top aid to Boris Johnson drove from London to the north-east of England despite strict lockdown rules.

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Durham said in 2020 it did not issue fines retrospectively, but the Metropolitan police, which covers London, has been issuing fines for past breaches against Boris Johnson and his aides over a series of parties and gatherings held in Westminster.

Labor has said no rules were broken but Tory MPs and supporting newspapers have waged a campaign to say police should change their initial view that there were no grounds to investigate.

Police say they have received “correspondence” on the issue.

Labour’s defense has been that the takeaway was necessary for campaign staff, who carried on working while eating. But reports have questioned the volume of food and alcohol supplied as well as Labour’s claim there were no alternative options for dinner.

Starmer said the food had been ordered as the staff prepared an online event for members. “In Durham, all restaurants and pubs were closed, so takeaways really were the only way you could eat. So this was brought in and at various points people went through to the kitchen and had something to eat, and got on with their work,” he said.

He added: “We were very careful to abide by the rules… and we did it within my family. My wife’s father is very elderly and had to shield in difficult circumstances that I won’t go into. My wife went and sat on the pavement outside his house. All she wanted to do, like many families, is she wanted to go in and clean and she didn’t because the rules didn’t allow her. So I know what that feels like.”

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Starmer has claimed the Tories are “mudslinging” over their allegations that he broke Covid rules, to distract from the prime minister’s own lawbreaking, for which he was issued a fixed-penalty notice.

Johnson paid a fine for attending his birthday party in June 2020, and is still facing investigations over his alleged attendance at several other parties.

Durham police, when declining previously to investigate, had said: “Durham constabulary has reviewed video footage recorded in Durham on 30 April 2021. We do not believe an offense has been established in relation to the legislation and guidance in place at that time and will therefore take no further action in relation to this matter.”


www.theguardian.com

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