Sir Keir Starmer refuses to set record straight over ‘lockdown beer and curry party’
SIR Keir Starmer refused to set the record straight yesterday over his alleged lockdown beer and curry party — after calling for the PM’s head over his Covid fine.
The Labour leader declined to say if he would cooperate with any police investigation into his bash in April last year when indoor socialising was banned amid the pandemic.
And he did not provide any evidence to show he went back to work after the supposed meeting break — when he quaffed San Miguel lager and tucked into takeaway Indian food at 10pm on a Friday night.
Grilled about it on the local elections campaign trail, Sir Keir insisted: “Look, there was no party, no breach of the rules.”
Labour had previously said the food was ordered as restaurants were closed, but it has now emerged the Raddison Blu in Durham was serving food outside on its terrace until 9pm that day — while also offering room service.
And the party is still struggling to explain who exactly was present and what they did, with suggestions that up to 30 people were there.
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Labour had denied deputy leader Angela Rayner was present — until video evidence proved otherwise.
Sir Keir has called for Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak to quit over their lockdown fines.
But Tory MP Richard Holden has written to Durham Police to ask them to re-open the investigation into alleged breaches by the Labour leader.
He said: “It’s disgraceful that Sir Keir Starmer, who is a former head of the Crown Prosecution Service and a top London barrister, refused to confirm that he, the Labour Party and all present in Durham at his late-night event, would cooperate with the police if they decided to re-launch an investigation.
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“This entire series of events shows Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner think they should be held to lower standards than the Prime Minister and everyone else in the country.
“We need the same rules to be applied across the country to help give the public confidence that no one can dodge justice.”
It comes as The Sun can reveal the Met Police issued nearly 17 times as many fixed penalty notices for breaching Covid regulations as Durham Constabulary.
The force is yet to respond to Mr Holden’s second letter on the matter.
Sir Keir is under pressure to reveal exactly what cops were told about the “beergate” bash.
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But the PM refused to be drawn into the row.
He said: “I think politicians should focus, wherever possible, not on other politicians, not on themselves, but on what we could do to change the lives of people in this country.”
Standard questions
DEFENSIVE Sir Keir yesterday stonewalled questions from Sky News:
Q: You say you didn’t break any rules when you were pictured drinking in Durham last year. This was after 10pm on a Friday night. Did you really go back to work?
SIR KEIR: We were working. It was days before the election. We paused for something to eat. There was no party. No rules were broken.
Q: It’s important, isn’t it, that you’re held to the same standards you hold Boris Johnson to? Is there further clarification . . . in terms of numbers there? Reports of 30? Was there a curry delivery? The fact numbers of people were so high but they didn’t recall Angela Rayner was there? If the police did decide to have another look, would you cooperate?
SIR KEIR: I know what’s going on here. Tories are desperately trying to talk about anything other than the cost of living. I’ve got nothing to add.