The British opposition leader is said to have broken lockdown rules.
(Photo: Reuters)
durham After “Partygate” comes “Beergate”: Because of a social gathering during lockdown times, opposition leader Keir Starmer now has to face the police investigation. Durham County Police, where Starmer campaigned with a team last year, said Friday they had received “significant new information” and are now investigating whether lockdown rules were broken at the time. Previously, the authority had not considered investigations necessary.
Specifically, it is about an evening in April last year when restaurants were largely closed and strict contact restrictions applied – with exceptions for work meetings. Footage of the socializing at a Labor office in Durham appeared in a variety of media outlets, with the Conservative Daily Mail in particular running lengthy pieces on the so-titled “Beergate” incident for days. One said food had been ordered for 30 people.
A spokesman for the party said they were of course ready to answer questions. “But we stand by the fact that no rules were broken.” Keir Starmer, who had also emphasized this frequently before, initially did not want to answer any reporter questions about it. His previous explanation was that he and his campaign team ordered curry from the office, ate at work and drank a beer.
The Labor leader accused the Tory party of a “mud fight” to distract from his own Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s lockdown parties. He has already had to pay a fine for an illegal party, and others are still being investigated. A few days ago, voices from the Tory party called on the police to investigate Starmer’s “Beergate”.
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The police about-face comes the day after the general election, in which Labor wrested some key districts and cities from the Tory party. Labor leader Starmer was still in a celebratory mood that morning and described the results as a “turning point” for his party.
More: A hard setback – but not a knockout for Johnson: Conservatives record defeat.