They’ve bottled it!
Police spare Sir Beer Korma a fine over lockdown curry ... after he piled on the pressure with threat to resign
SIR Keir Starmer escaped being fined by police over ‘Beergate’ yesterday – but suspicions have been raised that the decision was politically motivated.
The Labour leader and his deputy Angela Rayner were dramatically cleared by Durham Constabulary of breaking lockdown laws, saving their careers.
The pair, along with more than a dozen party colleagues, had been investigated for enjoying latenight drinks and a takeaway curry in an MP’s office at a time when indoor socialising was banned.
But after a twomonth investigation, the force concluded yesterday that the gathering of 17 people at Durham Miners’ Hall on April 30 last year had been legal as it was a work event, since Sir Keir had been campaigning ahead of local elections.
The Labour leader had piled pressure on the force over its decision by vowing to quit if he was given a fixed penalty notice.
He said yesterday: ‘I’ve always said that no rules were broken when I was in Durham. The police have now completed their investigation and found there is no case to answer.
‘People said to me I was taking a risk by saying I would step down if I was fined. But it was never about that. For me, it was a matter of principle.’
But critics questioned why police had deemed the event was necessary for work, given Sir Keir was pictured with a bottle of beer at 10pm as well as posing with a football shirt. They also cited the fact that a £200 takeaway curry was ordered even though he could have eaten at his hotel. By
‘The height of inconsistency’ ‘No case to answer... due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work’
contrast, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were fined by Scotland Yard for briefly marking the Prime Minister’s birthday at No 10 before a crucial Covid meeting.
Others noted Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), who has the power to hire and fire chief constables but is not meant to get involved in operational decisions, is Labour politician Joy Allen.
A Tory source said: ‘People will be surprised to learn Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner were allowed to stand around drinking inside after work with people from outside their household under Covid restrictions.
‘Other forces have obviously taken a different view. If Keir Starmer held himself to the standards he demands of others he would have resigned two months ago.’
Tory MP Michael Fabricant said the different approaches taken towards the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition were ‘the height of inconsistency’, adding: ‘As some have said to me, this is a typi
‘Birthday party’ in 10 Downing Street (with no cake) that saw Boris AND Rishi fined by the Met
cal north London QC wriggling his way out of a fine that anyone else would have received.
‘The fact that Durham has a Labour PCC will add still further to the suspicions felt by those who do not believe justice has been done.
‘Keir Starmer has in effect blackmailed Durham police by saying he would resign if he was fined – no constabulary would wish to bring down the leader of the opposition.’
Tory Durham county councillor David Brown, when asked if he believed there was political influence in the police decision, replied: ‘I think absolutely, to be honest.’
North West Durham’s Conservative MP Richard Holden, who had pressed the force to investigate Beergate, said: ‘My staff have been told curry and beer are not “reasonably necessary for work”.’
Durham Police said: ‘A substantial amount of documentary and witness evidence was obtained which identified the 17 participants and their activities during that gathering.
‘Following the application of the evidential Full Code Test, it has been concluded that there is no case to answer for a contravention of the regulations, due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work.
‘Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any fixedpenalty notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken.’