Keir Starmer

The Labour leader is under pressure as police investigate if rules were broken in April 2021.

A takeaway was made available in the kitchen, and he ate between work demands. No rules were broken." He reiterated his insistence that he had not broken the rules and suggested his opponents "didn't believe it themselves" but were simply trying "to get the public to believe all politicians are the same". "If the police decide to issue me with a fixed-penalty notice, I would of course do the right thing and step down." Addressing the issue on Monday, Sir Keir said he had "always followed the rules" and outlined how Covid rules had prevented him from offering support to his father-in-law when his wife's mother died. In the long term, if he avoids a fine, it could help define him - and his character - in the public's mind.

U.K. Labour leader Keir Starmer has said he'll resign if a police investigation into a curry and beer gathering in April 2021 results in a fine — a move ...

“I’ve always been clear that I was at the event in Durham working in my capacity as deputy leader and that no rules were broken,” she said. If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down.” She said: “I’ve always been clear that I was at the event in Durham working in my capacity as Deputy Leader and that no rules were broken. “But if the police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice, I would, of course, do the right thing and step down. If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down.” Eating during a long day’s work was not against the rules.

Ms Sturgeon said with a police investigation underway it “would be wrong for me to comment in any more detail”, but added: “What I do think is pretty obvious is ...

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The Queen has been forced to pull out of the state opening of parliament on Tuesday. The episodic mobility issues are said to be a continuation of the problems the Queen has suffered since the autumn. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the state opening of parliament tomorrow. The Queen has been forced to pull out of the state opening of parliament on Tuesday. Mr Stewart said that if the Labour leader had to resign it would be a “real loss to British politics” and that whatever the outcome he will “emerge with dignity either way.”

Analysis: Resignation promise has been praised as a bold move but not everyone in the Labour camp is convinced it's the right one.

In the event that Starmer’s gamble backfires, ending in his resignation, it is not clear who else will benefit. Johnson is still facing the prospect of potential further fines from the police. Once again, the difference will be clear compared with Johnson, who has refused to resign in the face of a police Covid fine.

Labour leaders announce high-stakes gamble after police launch investigation.

Meanwhile, Labour MP and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Sir Keir “needs to investigate whether people are leaking” Beergate revelations to the media from within the party. If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down.” “Probity in politics matters to him”. Defending his actions, he said: “The idea that I would then casually break those rules is wrong, and frankly I don’t believe those accusing me believe it themselves. He added: “They deserve politicians who hold themselves to the highest standards. And they deserve politicians who put the country first rather than themselves.

The Labour leader failed to explain to a sceptical public how he did not break lockdown rules.

That defence does not hinge on whether or not Starmer and others went back to work, as he claimed last week — a claim that seems to have been needless, and which has since been undermined. Others have offered an explanation — namely that the pre-planned dinner he had in Durham after a day of campaigning was necessary for the purposes of work, and was therefore not a social event, however social it may have been. This is a story that threatens the core of Starmer’s appeal — that he is a man of integrity and the Prime Minister isn’t.

Labour leader vows to resign if Durham police issue him with fixed penalty notice over claims he broke Covid lockdown rules.

On Sunday Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, refused to rule herself out of a race. They argue that many attendees did not return to work after they had finished their takeaway curry, which arrived at the Durham Miners' Hall at around 10pm. They deserve politicians who hold themselves to the highest standards, and they deserve politicians who put the country first rather than themselves. Lord Moylan, a Conservative peer, tweeted last night that the force was now under political pressure. "I simply had something to eat whilst working late in the evening, as any politician would do days before an election. I'm no exception to that."

STEPHEN GLOVER: The revelation that Starmer seems to have broken Covid laws by attending a shindig in Durham on April 30 last year has punctured his ...

It will take a brave copper to issue a fine if it leads to the defenestration of the Labour leader, with all the political consequences that would entail. Armed with this first-hand knowledge, he seeks to influence the outcome of an official investigation. He implied that if they judge an infraction has taken place, but decline to issue a penalty notice, he may not feel obliged to resign. If they should be inclined to do so, they now know, since Sir Keir has spelt it out, that he will 'step down'. He wants us to think that his promise to resign if found guilty by Durham Police of infringing Covid regulations is proof of principle. But the Labour leader has done his utmost to ensure that no fine will be issued.

Shadow Scotland secretary Ian Murray has accused Boris Johnson of 'pulling everyone into the gutter' amid accusations Sir Keir broke lockdown…

As a man of integrity, who is trying to improve our politics, all credit to him for doing so.” “He’s always said that he is a man of integrity first. “He’s done the right thing today, if he’s given a fixed penalty notice, if he’s been proven to have broken Covid rules, he will do the right thing and resign and the Prime Minister should have done the same thing weeks ago.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to offer his resignation if he is issued a fixed penalty notice for breaking COVID rules. Sir Keir has come under ...

What would Sir Keir do if Durham Police rule that he broke the rules but isn't fined, Beth asked. The charge against the Labour leader from his political opponents has been self-righteous hypocrisy. "That is his choice. Bet she's delighted at being dragged back into the Starmer drama. Pressed on whether he would quit if it was determined that there was a breach of the rules but he is not issued with a fine, Sir Keir said he had not broken the rules and added: "The penalty for a COVID breach is a fixed-penalty notice, that's a matter of law, and I've set out what the position is in relation to that." "The prime minister has chosen not to resign, notwithstanding that, not only has he broken the law that he made, but 50 fines being imposed in relation to the workplace that he is responsible for.

'Beergate' is what happens when you preach a politics of punishment, argues Moya Lothian-McLean.

That would have been an approach that spoke to how the regulations were a failure of government, ushering in further criminalisation and punishment of ordinary people at a time of great crisis. Time and time again, he casts himself as the school snitch, the Randall Weems of Westminster. It might be a position that occasionally nets a blow at the despatch box, but it hardly wins hearts and minds, as Labour’s muted showing in last week’s local elections demonstrates. Upon receiving news of police fines being dished out to the prime minister and chancellor, Starmer could have easily joined the coalition of justice organisations and parliamentarians who called for an immediate review of all Covid-19 related fines and prosecutions, demanding financial penalties were refunded and convictions overturned. Monday morning saw The Times splash that Starmer was considering a pledge to resign if he’s fined over the incident in order to “retain the moral high ground” over his rival, Boris Johnson. Hours later, he did just that at an afternoon press conference, insisting “no rules were broken” but stating that if he was issued with a fixed penalty notice he would do the “right thing” and be on his way. During the height of ‘partygate’, Starmer’s attacks on Johnson were predicated solely on whether he had, in fact, broken the law, rather than examining how the law itself was arbitrary, contradictory and harshly enforced. Perhaps it’s fitting that something this tedious may prove to be the end of Keir Starmer’s equally colourless leadership of the Labour party.

News comes as it emerges Labour is preparing dossier to show team worked late on night in question.

They will take accounts from those in the constituency office to determine whether they had a reasonable excuse for their actions. The dossier includes time-stamped logs of WhatsApp chats, documents and video edits. Labour initially denied her presence, raising questions about the accuracy of the party’s account.

Labour leader Keir Starmer turns tables on Tory attacks after Durham Police reopened its investigation.

"Eating during a long day’s work was not against the rules. If we don't, lives could be lost as a result." "The idea that I would then casually break those rules is wrong. "We are not all the same. and I've set out today how I'm different," he said. Mr Starmer said he was "absolutely clear no rules were broken" but added: "If the police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice, I would of course do the right thing and step down."

Record View says if Keir Starmer is fined by police for breaking the lockdown rules he will resign as party leader. No ifs, no buts.

Starmer was simply eating and having a drink in the course of his work. The Tories have been breaking corona rules in Downing Street on an industrial scale. Yesterday they saw what integrity looks like in politics. An apology was said to have been offered and the MP in question then put on conduct training. The agenda being pushed by the Conservatives, and their players in the media, is to spread the dirt and make out that all politicians are the same. He is applying the same standard to himself as he has done to Boris Johnson - to abide by the rules as we all did.

GB News host Tom Harwood pointed out how Sir Keir had avoided saying he would resign if he had been found to breech the rules.

He added: "If Sir Keir Starmer wasn't to say he would resign he would look almost cowardly, particularly because of the incredibly strong stance he took against the Chancellor and the Prime Minister." Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer could use a loophole to avoid resigning if he has been found to have breeched lockdown rules. Keir Starmer could use loophole to avoid resigning even if he is found to have broken lockdown rules

In a dramatic statement on Monday, the Labour leader said he would do the "right thing" if issued with a fine for breaking COVID rules.

What would Sir Keir do if Durham Police rule that he broke the rules but isn't fined, Beth asked. The charge against the Labour leader from his political opponents has been self-righteous hypocrisy. "That is his choice. Bet she's delighted at being dragged back into the Starmer drama. Pressed on whether he would quit if it was determined that there was a breach of the rules but he is not issued with a fine, Sir Keir said he had not broken the rules and added: "The penalty for a COVID breach is a fixed-penalty notice, that's a matter of law, and I've set out what the position is in relation to that." In a dramatic statement on Monday, the Labour leader said he would do the "right thing" if issued with a fine for breaking COVID rules.

Shadow education secretary backs Labour leader's gamble to place his political future in the hands of Durham Police.

“He is Mr Rules, he was the Director of Public Prosecuitions. He takes it incredibly seriously. I am confident that he hasn’t broken any rules. I’m confident no rules were broken and that’s what the polvce investigation will conclude.” On Tuesday the Policing Minister Kit Malthouse refused to be drawn on whether Sir Keir should quit if fined, but in response to questions on Sky News as to whether the Labour leader had presssured detectives he said that Durham Police should be given the “time and space” to complete their investigation. In a dramatic statement on Monday, Sir Keir said he would do the “right thing” and stand down if he was issued with a fixed penalty notice in relation to the gathering in Labour offices in Durham in April. “He will have been definitely working after the curry,” Ms Phillipson said.

Labour's advantage is that in a hung parliament no party will even contemplate dealing with Boris Johnson.

It has the big strategic positions and a lot of detailed policy that nobody knows anything about. Durham Constabulary might yet make a mockery of this prediction but, barring disaster, Keir Starmer is on course to be Labour’s first prime minister in a decade and a half. Between them, the Tories and Labour won 82.4 per cent of the vote in 2017 and 75.8 per cent in 2019. His positive public remarks on the need for good business to thrive are a world away from the rhetoric of Miliband. He has broken decisively and impressively with Jeremy Corbyn on the existence of anti-Semitism within Labour and on the importance of the Nato alliance. There is no doubt that excitement is a political asset, but it is worth noting that this demand is only ever made of the political left. All of which spreadsheet reasoning should at least provoke a pause in the constant demands that Starmer produce his vision for Britain. The leader of the Labour party is repeatedly called upon to excite the voters with a florid account of what his government might do. These results are well within the range that would displace Johnson. It really is an indictment of the British electoral system that the Prime Minister could be replaced by an opposition that wins a third of the vote on a turnout of two thirds of the electorate, but that could happen. Almost 50 years ago to the day, the local elections of 1972 produced a Labour performance widely written up as disappointing. On the day that Starmer became the leader of the opposition the Conservative Party was leading Labour by 52 per cent to 28, according to YouGov. In the last opinion poll, taken before the local elections, Labour led the Conservatives 39-33. If Labour wins 35 per cent at the general election, the Conservatives need to hit at least 39 per cent to win outright. The least written reaction to the local elections is that Keir Starmer is very likely to be prime minister. London is now a thoroughly Labour city but, compared with 2018 when these seats were last contested, the party fell back in its share of the vote in every other region of Great Britain. The polling expert John Curtice projected these local results into a national share of the vote of 35 per cent, with the Tories on 30 per cent.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse says Labour leader has to 'set his own standards'

Malthouse told Sky News the police force would meet “high standards” regardless of any alleged pressure. But Keir Starmer has to speak for himself and set his own standards.” In a statement on Monday, the Labour leader said he would do the “right thing” if he was issued with a fixed-penalty notice in relation to a gathering in Labour offices in Durham in April last year.

"When you bump into your ex's new boyfriend," one person quipped.

In turn, this has put pressure on the prime minister. The two party leaders weren’t the only ones who were ridiculed for their role in the State Opening of Parliament either. This time, however, they were caught on camera chatting causally while on their way to listen to the Queen’s Speech for the State Opening of Parliament.

'Only thing opening up for him in north is a police investigation', says backbencher.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In his response to the Queen’s Speech, Starmer congratulated Mr Johnson on becoming the “first resident of Downing Street” to be resident of a Labour council, after the Tories lost Westminster at the local elections. Backbencher Graham Stuart put the boot into over the Durham Police probe into the takeaway curry eaten at event last April – telling Starmer “the only thing opening up for him in the north is a police investigation”.