Starmer ‘is Mr Rules, he doesn’t break the rules’
LABOUR’S Lisa Nandy has defended party leader Sir Keir Starmer over claims he broke coronavirus lockdown rules, saying: “I’m absolutely confident that he hasn’t broken the law.”
Shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities Ms Nandy said her boss “is Mr Rules, he does not break the rules” as she accused the Conservatives of an “absolutely desperate attempt to sling mud”.
Her comments came as Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab accused Sir Keir of “complete hypocrisy” over the Durham beer-and-curry event being investigated by police for a possible breach of coronavirus lockdown laws.
Asked if Sir Keir should quit, Mr Raab told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “It’s the rank double standards that drive people crazy. He needs to fess up and answer all of the holes in the account that he gave for that beer-and-curry event in Durham.”
He added: “Keir Starmer looks like, I’m afraid, someone who is engaged in complete hypocrisy, complete double standards, and I don’t think he is going to get past that until he gives a proper account of what happened in Durham.”
Ms Nandy told Sky News: “He went on a work visit, he stopped to eat at various times during the day as was factored into the work visit and then he finished the work visit and he went back to his hotel.
“I think this, the last few weeks we’ve seen an absolutely desperate attempt to sling mud at the Labour leader and various members of the Labour Party and it is frankly absurd of the Tories to claim that this in any way equates to a Prime Minister who was under investigation by the police for 12 separate gatherings which included karaoke parties, bring your own bottle parties, pub quizzes, suitcases full of wine being smuggled through the back door.”
Asked if Sir Keir should resign if it was found he broke the law, she told Sky News: “Look, I’m not going to get into that, because I’m absolutely confident that he hasn’t broken the law.”