Starmer’s spokesman refused to comment when pressed by journalists at a lobby briefing about Starmer meeting his voice coach in person at Labour HQ on Christmas Eve 2020, amid strict Tier 4 restrictions in London. These were legally binding measures, not mere guidance. Downing Street also remained tight-lipped when asked whether Starmer adhered to lockdown rules at all times, with a spokesperson stating, “he wouldn’t get involved in matters relating to his time in opposition.” Crucially, though, Downing Street did not deny that Starmer would resign if found to have broken lockdown rules — a pledge he made during the “Beergate” controversy…
No10 officials are passing on all questions about the incident to Labour political spokespeople – civil servants have learned the lessons of partygate and do not want to get burned again. This also places big strain on Labour spinners and ministers who will now have to account for the issue. It’s also inconsistent that Downing Street is suddenly keeping quiet on matters from Starmer’s time in Opposition. Back in October, when Guido revealed Starmer had used Lord Alli’s penthouse in 2022 to film a ‘work from home’ video, Downing Street was quick off the mark, issuing statements to insist that Starmer had “not broken any rules” by using the property. This is beginning to cause real pressure on No10…
Starmer was read out a list of his 13 U-turns on BBC Radio 2, to which he responded:
“Well, I am a common sense merchant.”