Keir Starmer

The Labour leader was pictured drinking a beer and eating a curry with colleagues in Durham during the Hartlepool by-election last year, ...

But a party source said it was a "mistake made in good faith" and Sir Keir has insisted it "makes absolutely no difference" as no rules had been broken. "If they spent as much energy and as much focus on people's bills and the tax that they are whacking people for then millions of people would be grateful for that. Sir Keir said earlier this week: "There was no party, no breach of the rules. He said he and his colleagues were working in the Durham constituency office of local MP Mary Foy and paused for some food, adding that "no rules were broken". Speaking to reporters after Labour made gains in the local elections, the leader of the opposition said: "As I've explained a number of times, we were working in the office, we stopped for something to eat - no party, no breach of the rules. Sir Keir Starmer has insisted there was "no party" and he is "confident no rules were broken" after police said they would investigate claims he broke lockdown rules while drinking with colleagues.

Durham Police had previously said it would not probe claims against Sir Keir, but reversed that decision after 'significant' new information came to light.

Sir Keir added: “At some point, this was in the evening, everybody’s hungry and then that takeaway was ordered. Explaining the incident to Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, the Labour leader said: “We’re on the road at the end of the day, we’re in the office preparing. Sir Keir was filmed drinking a beer inside the Durham office of Labour MP Mary Foy but it has since emerged a large take-away curry order had been delivered and a group of up to 30 may have been present.

The Labour leaders's repeated calls for Boris Johnson to resign over Downing Street parties have come back to haunt him.

The police investigation is not finished, and the much awaited and potentially highly damaging report on the parties by the civil servant Sue Gray is yet to be published. The investigation raises serious questions about Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party. His repeated calls for Boris Johnson to resign make it difficult for him to stay on if he himself is now fined for breaking lockdown rules by having a curry and a beer with Labour campaigners. The same is true of Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, who also called for the Prime Minister to go after it was announced that Downing Street parties were under police investigation, and who was present at the beergate event too.

Durham Constabulary said the year-old allegations will be looked at again after previously saying no offence had been established.

In January, he said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. Allegations against Sir Keir refused to subside in the run-up to the elections, with the Labour leader this week saying he wanted to focus on the cost-of-living crisis and not Conservative “mudslinging”. Sir Keir previously called on Boris Johnson to “do the decent thing and resign” following confirmation the Prime Minister was being investigated by police for breaking lockdown rules earlier this year.

A legal expert said the event appeared justified under the UK Government guidelines in place at the time.

“As I’ve explained a number of times, we were working in the office, we stopped for something to eat – no party, no breach of the rules,” he said. He accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner on Newsnight of looking to take the “moral high ground” when calling for the Prime Minister to go over the so-called partygate saga but “are now under investigation and appear to have broken the rules themselves”. We were working in the office, we stopped for something to eat – no party, no breach of the rules

A legal expert said the event appeared justified under the UK Government guidelines in place at the time.

In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. He accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner on Newsnight of looking to take the “moral high ground” when calling for the Prime Minister to go over the so-called partygate saga but “are now under investigation and appear to have broken the rules themselves”. “As I’ve explained a number of times, we were working in the office, we stopped for something to eat – no party, no breach of the rules,” he said.

A legal expert said the event appeared justified under the UK Government guidelines in place at the time.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. He accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner on Newsnight of looking to take the “moral high ground” when calling for the Prime Minister to go over the so-called partygate saga but “are now under investigation and appear to have broken the rules themselves”. “It was in a constituency office and the Labour Party said they had to feed people because otherwise, at 10 o’clock at night, they weren’t going to be able to feed them. Sir Keir previously said no restaurants or pubs were open at the time of the alleged offence, and the hotel he and his colleagues were staying in did not serve food, so “if you didn’t get a takeaway then our team wasn’t eating that evening”. “As I’ve explained a number of times, we were working in the office, we stopped for something to eat – no party, no breach of the rules,” he said.

A legal expert said the event appeared justified under the UK Government guidelines in place at the time.

In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. He accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner on Newsnight of looking to take the “moral high ground” when calling for the Prime Minister to go over the so-called partygate saga but “are now under investigation and appear to have broken the rules themselves”. “As I’ve explained a number of times, we were working in the office, we stopped for something to eat – no party, no breach of the rules,” he said.

Durham Police decided to launch an investigation due to the discovery of new information.

In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. He accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner on Newsnight of looking to take the “moral high ground” when calling for the Prime Minister to go over the so-called partygate saga but “are now under investigation and appear to have broken the rules themselves”. “It was in a constituency office and the Labour Party said they had to feed people because otherwise, at 10 o’clock at night, they weren’t going to be able to feed them.

Police to investigate after receiving 'significant new information' and despite earlier saying they did not believe an offence had been committed.

In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. But Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who withdrew his call for Boris Johnson to resign over allegations of parties held in Downing Street during England’s lockdowns, said the public was likely to be “appalled” by the investigation announcement. A report in the Daily Telegraph claims that so-called “beergate” will take police up to six weeks to investigate, with those suspected of having breached lockdown rules due to be sent questionnaires.

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 ...

At that time, it was concluded that no offence 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.” 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 April 30 2021.

A legal expert said the event appeared justified under the UK Government guidelines in place at the time.

In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. He accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner on Newsnight of looking to take the “moral high ground” when calling for the Prime Minister to go over the so-called partygate saga but “are now under investigation and appear to have broken the rules themselves”. “As I’ve explained a number of times, we were working in the office, we stopped for something to eat – no party, no breach of the rules,” he said.

Durham Police decided to launch an investigation due to the discovery of new information.

In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. He accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner on Newsnight of looking to take the “moral high ground” when calling for the Prime Minister to go over the so-called partygate saga but “are now under investigation and appear to have broken the rules themselves”. “It was in a constituency office and the Labour Party said they had to feed people because otherwise, at 10 o’clock at night, they weren’t going to be able to feed them.

The news site suggests Starmer's lawyers have said there is a 60 per cent chance he will escape the investigation without a fine. It comes as the Labour leader ...

Speaking to LBC this morning, the former shadow home secretary said: 'If he actually gets a fixed penalty notice he really has to consider his position. 'We're confident that'll be the case this time. 'He's maintained that all the way along. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly told colleagues he will have to quit if he gets a Covid fine over the Beergate investigation by Durham Police. A source told the website: '[Starmer] has told people he will have to go if he's fined.' - The Labour Leader has reportedly told his colleagues he will have to quit if fined