Starmer ‘is Mr Rules, he does not break the rules’, says Lisa Nandy
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."
Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-mogg suggested there was no need for Sir Keir to resign if he was fined, but questioned his judgment for focusing so much on the "second tier issue" of partygate. “The difficulty for Sir Keir is he said – before any result of any investigation – that the Prime Minister should resign," Mr Rees-mogg told Channel 4's Andrew Neil Show.
"Which sets a rather high standard and I think the issue for him is one of judgment."
Asked if Sir Keir should quit if he was found to have broken the law, Mr Rees-mogg said: "I think he should pay a fine and then talk about the issues of great importance to the nation."
Ms Nandy told Sky News: "This is a guy who's self-isolated six times during the pandemic, I don't know a single other person who did that.
"He is Mr Rules, he does not break the rules, he was the director of public prosecutions, not somebody who goes around tearing up rules when it suits him, in stark contrast to the Prime Minister.”