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…
“He is Mr Rules” were the immortal words of a Labour briefing line issued in 2022 when Keir Starmer was last accused of breaking lockdown rules. How hollow those words seem today. During the ‘Beergate’ scandal, Starmer began by completely denying he had done anything wrong. The matter was first raised in detail on this website – and eventually, the BBC, The Times and even The Guardian caught up. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander…
The Durham incident ultimately was investigated by the police. It emerged during this period that Labour had spun a web of (at best) half-truths, inconsistencies and omissions. Starmer made a moral stand: he declared he would resign as Labour leader if he had broken Covid rules. Luckily for him, Durham Police dropped the investigation, letting him off the hook, and never pronounced a verdict on whether his beer and curry was actually a rule breach. There was speculation that Durham Constabulary took a much more liberal approach than the Met to these matters, and that he would have been fined had Beergate taken place in London. Starmer’s meeting with his voice coach took place in the Met’s jurisdiction…
Starmer finds himself in difficulty after The Sunday Times – inadvertently- revealed that he had met his voice coach in person at Labour HQ on Christmas Eve 2020. This was during strict Tier 4 restrictions in London (actual law, not guidance) – a much more strict set of restrictions than those in force during Beergate. Families had just been told they could essentially not see any relatives over Christmas. The atmosphere in Christmas 2020 was pre ‘partygate’ – it was one of the worst periods of restrictions of liberty in the capital. The only feasible defence for Starmer in the regulations is to claim that it was reasonably necessary for his voice coach to be present physically at a work meeting. Absolutely no one will believe that, especially given Mssrs Pogrund and Maguire recount previous sessions being delivered via phone call. The partygate scandal itself broke a year after gatherings had been mentioned as a throwaway lines in an old Times piece – that went on to sink Tory Prime Ministers…
Labour’s line this morning is: “The rules were followed.” Sound familiar?
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”