KEIR Starmer should be investigated over a video of him drinking beer and socialising in a Durham constituency office while Covid laws were in place, according to a Conservative MP.
Richard Holden, the Tory MP for North West Durham, has written to Durham Constabulary’s Chief Constable Joe Farrell in an effort to secure a partygate-style probe into the Labour leader, as Boris Johnson continues to come under pressure for gatherings held in Downing Street and Whitehall during lockdown.
While more than 50 fines have been handed out by the Met Police for those events, with the Prime Minister and Chancellor each receiving one fine each so far, the mood is reportedly changing in the Conservative party – and a leadership challenge may be on the cards following May’s local elections.
READ MORE: The Tory MPs calling for Boris Johnson to resign – see the full list
And with polling by the think tank More in Common, carried out for The Telegraph, recording a major drop in support for the Tories in England’s northern “Red Wall” seats, it seems loyal Johnson followers in the area are keen to help save the man whose Brexit banner helped them get elected.
Holden, elected in 2019 as the constituency’s first ever Tory MP, wrote the letter demanding Starmer receive the same treatment as the Conservative leader.
Although police already cleared Starmer of breaching rules by “drinking and socialising” in an MP’s office while household mixing was off-limits, Holden called on officers to look again.
The rules and the way they are interpreted should apply equally to the Prime Minister, @BorisJohnson, & to those who seek that office like @Keir_Starmer
— Richard Holden MP (@RicHolden) April 23, 2022
And they should be applied equally by the police, whether @metpoliceuk or @DurhamPolice
>>> https://t.co/VxX0AbCbL2 pic.twitter.com/SrnyasVTTS
He said: “The Metropolitan Police has since issued a fixed penalty notice to a number of politicians in relation to an event inside the Downing Street Cabinet room on 19 June 2020, where individuals may have briefly celebrated a birthday at a work event. It is reported that this event may have included the presence of cake in a Tupperware box.
“In light of that decision, and the tests applied by Metropolitan Police for the level of a Covid regulations brief, I believe there is a strong public interest in Durham Constabulary reviewing its decision not to investigate the Starmer incident further.”
He went on: “I do not believe the photographed activity meets the ‘functional but not social’ test in the guidance on political campaigning in campaign rooms.”
In January, when the image and video of Starmer in the constituency office recirculated, he said the team had stopped working for something to eat during Hartlepool by-election campaigning, before continuing to work.
“No party, no breach of the rules and absolutely no comparison with the Prime Minister,” he added.
The Labour Party and Durham Constabulary declined to comment on Friday night.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel