Johnson not threatened by a Starmer resignation
A resignation by Sir Keir Starmer would not mean the Prime Minister should do the same, according to a government minister, after the Labour leader said he would step down if he is fined by police over alleged lockdown rule-breaking.
Sir Keir said he would do the "right thing" if he was issued with a fixed penalty notice in relation to a gathering in Labour offices in Durham in April last year.
The move has been viewed as a huge gamble, with Sir Keir 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 Sir Keir's actions with those of Boris Johnson, 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.
Policing minister Kit Malthouse said a resignation by Sir Keir would not mean Boris Johnson should also step down.
When it was suggested to him that if the Labour leader is fined and does resign, it would mean Mr Johnson should follow suit, he told LBC: "Not necessarily, no."
Mr Malthouse added: "Obviously in any situation where, you know, the rules were moving around, there were misunderstandings or mistakes were made, and apologies are made and they are accepted, then people of all walks of life should be able to keep their jobs.
"But Keir Starmer has to speak for himself and set his own standards."
Asked if the Labour leader is right to say he would step down, Mr Malthouse later told GB News: "That's a matter for him.”