Keir Starmer stays shtoom on lockdown breach claim
SIR Keir Starmer would not be drawn on providing further details in relation to allegations he broke lockdown rules while out campaigning on the last day before the elections.
The Labour leader has come under pressure since footage emerged of him drinking a beer with colleagues in April 2021 in Durham during campaigning for the Hartlepool by-election.
Sir Keir said he wanted to focus on the cost-of-living crisis and not Conservative “mudslinging”.
At the time of the gathering, non-essential retail and outdoor venues including pub gardens were open but social distancing rules, which included a ban on indoor mixing between households, remained in place.
Following renewed focus on the issue in recent days, Sir Keir confirmed police have not been in touch with him in relation to the allegations.
But he did not provide additional details, including how many people were present in Durham, when speaking to reporters while in Yorkshire for the last day of campaigning ahead of the local elections.
Asked if Durham Police have contacted him in recent days, Sir Keir said: “I have not had contact from Durham Police and I think people are just about fed up with the mudslinging that’s going on.
“We know what the Conservatives are up to. What we need to do, I think, is focus on the issue in hand, which is the cost of living.”
Asked what he was doing at 11pm in Durham on the night in question, and if he went back to work having eaten, he said: “We were working, we stopped, we ate. No breach of the rules. No party. And I think that’s enough of the mudslinging from the Tories on this.”
He added: “What this mudslinging tells me is that the Conservatives have no answer to the central issue, which is the cost-of-living crisis.”
When asked how many people were with him on the night, and if it was as many as 30, he said: “I had a team with me. We were working in the office. This focus on mudslinging by the Conservatives means they’ve got no answer to the real question so many people want answered, which is: ‘what are you going to do to help me with my bills?”’
“And these results would also be good for Keir Starmer, who needs to get his first real electoral gains since becoming Labour leader. The opposition doesn’t normally win a general election without winning other elections first, and Labour have to show that they can do that.”
Chris Holbrook, CEO of Find Out Now, said: “Our poll suggests it will be a rough night for the Conservatives on Thursday, in particular the loss of the City of Westminster will be symbolically difficult for Boris Johnson.
“It might have other Tories jostling for position to replace him, even more than some in the media suggest there are already. Local election results don’t always translate to general elections, of course.
“The Tories will try to argue that this is a blip driven by Partygate. Labour will suggest it is a true shift in opinion due to scandals and the cost-of-living crisis.”
Boris Johnson insisted he would lead the Tories into the next general election as he faced a potentially difficult set of local elections.
The Prime Minister faces a cost-ofliving crisis, the fallout from his fine over a lockdown-busting birthday party in No.10 and scandals involving Tory MPs.
Environment Secretary George Eustice acknowledged that “all prime ministers will always be very conscious of the mood in their parliamentary party”, in response to speculation that poor results today could lead to more letters of no confidence from Tory MPs.
But Mr Johnson said he had the “right agenda for the country” and “of course” he would lead the party into the next general election – and win it.
Under Conservative Party rules, there must be a vote on the Prime Minister’s future if 54 MPs write to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, saying they have lost confidence in their leader.
So far only a handful of MPs have publicly confirmed sending a letter, with many critics of Mr Johnson holding back due to the war in Ukraine, although results of the elections and any further developments in the Partygate saga could change that position.
Mr Eustice told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “All prime ministers will always be very conscious of the mood in their parliamentary party because no government can get anything done unless it enjoys the support of the parliamentary party as a whole.
“So of course the Prime Minister will be thinking about these things. But for now he’s also making sure that we deal with some of the international challenges like the problems in Ukraine.
“And up and down the country we’ve got councillors fighting elections on local issues, things like planning, things like local council tax, and we’re doing our part and the Prime Minister is playing his part to support our councillors in those campaigns for tomorrow’s elections.”
The Prime Minister told reporters that he was “absolutely confident that we have the right agenda for the country”.
Asked if he would still be there at the next election, due to be held in 2024 at the latest, Mr Johnson said: “Of course. And I’m also very confident we will succeed at the next election.”
■ See Saturday’s Western Mail for election results and analysis