GUESTS on the BBC’s Politics Live programme were plunged into darkness on set after the lighting failed on Wednesday afternoon.
Presenter Jo Coburn was joined by Tory MP Steve Baker, Labour’s Emily Thornberry, Sunday Times political editor Caroline Wheeler and Financial Times writer Sebastian Payne.
The guests were discussing the latest row over Keir Starmer’s 2021 beer and curry gathering, which occurred while Covid rules were in place.
It comes after Starmer said on Monday he will do the “right thing” and quit if he is issued with a fixed penalty notice in relation to the gathering in Labour offices in Durham.
Thornberry was comparing the police's approach to investigating the incident with how they looked at Dominic Cummings's controversial trip to the city during the early months of the pandemic.
As the lights cut out suddenly, she sounded surprised: "Ooh, who's turned the lights off?"
They were only out for a matter of moments before returning, but the shot looked ominous in the meantime.
At the weekend, the Mail on Sunday published a leaked memo indicating the dinner had been planned as part of the Labour chief's itinerary for a day of campaigning and no further work was scheduled afterwards.
Starmer's move has been viewed as a huge gamble, with the Opposition leader placing his future in the hands of Durham Police after it was announced last week officers would reopen an investigation into the event, where he drank beer and ate curry.
The Labour Party has sought to contrast Starmer’s actions with those of the Prime Minister, who has refused to quit after being fined by the Met Police over a gathering in No 10 in June 2020 to mark his 56th birthday.
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