Starmer stays quiet on ‘beergate’ co-operation
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to say whether he would co-operate with the police if they reopen the inquiry into “beergate”, as he dismissed Tory claims as “mudslinging”. On the local elections campaign trail in West Sussex, he did not answer a question asking if he would help with a police investigation. “No party. No breach of the rules. This is a few days from the election. I know what’s going on. The Tories are chucking as much mud as possible,” he said.
‘No party. No breach of the rules. I know what’s going on here. The Tories are ... chucking as much mud as possible’
SIR KEIR STARMER has refused to say whether he would cooperate with the police if they reopen the inquiry into “beergate”, as he dismissed Tory claims as “mudslinging”.
During a visit to West Sussex in the lead-up to the local elections, the Labour leader did not answer a question asking if he would cooperate with a police investigation.
“No party. No breach of the rules. This is a few days from the election. I know what’s going on here.
“The Tories are desperately trying to talk about anything other than the costof-living [crisis]. Chucking as much mud as possible.”
Asked to clarify Sir Keir’s position, a Labour source said: “It means we’re not getting into hypothetical questions.”
Labour has previously criticised the Prime Minister’s unwillingness to comment on his alleged rule-breaking throughout “partygate”.
Asked about whether he will cooperate with a criminal investigation during the House of Commons following the publication of the Sue Gray report, Mr Johnson said that he “wouldn’t speculate about hypothetical questions”.
Sir Keir’s comments are the latest in a series of denials about the status of the gathering where video emerged of him drinking a beer last April in Durham.
The Labour leader was filmed in the Durham constituency office of the local MP Mary Foy while he was campaigning in the area.
Earlier this week, the Daily Mail reported that a delivery driver had estimated that he delivered “quite a big order” of four bags of curries, rice and naans to the “work meeting.”
The driver estimated that there were “30 or so” people inside. Asked about the disclosures, Sir Keir told Sky News: “We were working, it was days before the election. We paused for something to eat. There was no party, no rules were broken, there is nothing I can add to that.”
Durham Constabulary has repeatedly refused to reinvestigate allegations that the Labour leader broke lockdown rules, despite a letter from Richard Holden, a local MP.
The force previously investigated and determined in February and decided that no rules were broken.
Despite the Durham allegations, Sir Keir was keen to press that Downing Street was “the most-fined workplace”.
“Contrast that to Downing Street, where we know that there have been 50 fines issued already in Downing Street in relation to goings-on.
“That makes Downing Street the most-fined workplace in the whole of the UK.”