Monday 9 May 2022 09:29 AM Starmer faces fresh claims on Beergate and lockdown trends now

Keir Starmer faces another barrage of Beergate revelations today with claims aides were drunk and no work was being done.

The Labour leader's efforts to keep a lid on the row - now being investigated by police - were dealt a further blow with allegations that people were 'p*****' at the gathering in Durham last year.

Meanwhile, the furore is threatening to spread further with Sir Keir's office accused of sending out invites for a Christmas party in December 2020, when London was under Tier 2 restrictions. The bash was only cancelled when the capital was upgraded to Tier 3.

Labour insisted the gathering would have been allowed under the rules, although it has criticised the government for holding similar functions. 

The latest claims - reported by Politico - emerged as Sir Keir cancelled a think-tank event where he was due to face questions from journalists today.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting dismissed the criticism this morning, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan suggested that Sir Keir would not have to quit even if fined because he did not write the rules.  

Asked on a trip to the US whether a penalty would be a resigning matter for the Labour leader, Mr Khan said: 'No. Unfortunately, the last time I checked Keir Starmer isn't the prime minister or the chancellor. 

'Why is the British public angry? … The anger is because those who made those rules were breaking them.' 

Over the weekend a bombshell memo surfaced that appeared to contradict Sir Keir's account of the night he was filmed drinking a lockdown beer with staff.

In a sign of growing panic, his aides cancelled a major speech he was due to give this afternoon at an Institute for Government event where he was also expected to take questions from journalists.

The organisers were not told why he had suddenly pulled out. 

With police now investigating Sir Keir's drinks in Durham, he is under intense pressure to say whether he would resign if he was fined for breaking Covid rules – as he has insisted Mr Johnson should.

Labour confirmed that invites were sent out from the leader's office for a Christmas gathering in December 2020, when London was in Tier 2. 

They insisted the plan was always compliant with the rules and was cancelled when London was escalated to Tier 3.

However, the party was heavily critical of the Department for Education for holding a similar drinks event that Christmas under Tier 2.

One source told Politico some junior staffers present in Durham last year 'were p*ssed and obviously weren't working so I remember thinking: why are they here?' 

But Labour maintains that no rules were breached, and Mr Streeting said in a round of interviews this morning that the Tories were 'slinging mud'.  

Pressed on why Sir Keir was not answering questions today, Mr Streeting told Sky News: 'Well, he's been doing that all weekend. He's been doing it consistently since he was first asked questions about Durham.

'Let's just remember this central fact, which is the police have looked at this before, they found no case to answer. No action was taken. There's no reason to think this time round will be any different.

'What it will show is the stark contrast between Boris Johnson, who was fined, Boris Johnson who lied about there being any events whatsoever under his own roof, Boris Johnson who said all of that despite the fact we now know that officials were wheeling in suitcases full of booze into Number 10.

'There is no comparison whatsoever between perfectly legitimate campaigning activity which Keir has never denied, and the actions of Boris Johnson and the people who work for him, which was rule-breaking, lying, completely unacceptable, and the fact that Boris Johnson is still there, I think, is remarkable and depressing.'

Labour's Left was circling yesterday and sources suggested it was 'almost inevitable' that Sir Keir would face the axe if he was fined by Durham Constabulary.

'In the shadow cabinet there are certainly some who think instead of cowering, he should tackle this head on by saying he will resign if he is fined,' a party source said.

'He has nothing to lose. He will have to go anyway if he gets a fine, this would put him in a much stronger position if he is cleared.'

Lisa Nandy, the housing spokesman who ran against Sir Keir for the leadership, yesterday refused to say whether she would put her hat in the ring again if he stood down. 

Jolyon Maugham, a barrister who has repeatedly taken the Government to court over Brexit, warned that Beergate was a 'serious matter'.

'I do think there are proper questions which arise for Starmer and his team to answer. As I understand matters, I don't think this can be ignored,' the former adviser to Ed Miliband said. 

'I really wouldn't want to be placing a bet that Starmer hasn't broken the law. This is a serious matter for him and for Labour.'

Owen Jones, a Left-wing activist, said that 'people like me were wrong to dismiss' the Beergate row 'out of hand'. 

He said if Sir Keir was found to have lied his position 'isn't tenable regardless of whether restrictions were broken'.

Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary, said: 'If he actually gets a fixed penalty notice he really has to consider his position. I don't think he will. But if he were to get a fixed penalty notice he would have to consider his position.'

Mark Jenkinson, Tory MP for Workington, last night accused Sir Keir of 'running scared'. 

He said: 'It's time he came out and told the truth, apologised and put this whole sorry saga behind him.'

Today the Daily Mail revealed that Labour MPs made a virtue of an outdoor meal with Sir Keir complying with Covid rules just 24 hours before he was filmed drinking indoors with party delegates.

The newly-uncovered photograph showed him socially distancing from two Labour colleagues after an al fresco dinner.

At the time, restaurants were serving food outside with indoor socialising banned.

However the following day Sir Keir, his deputy Angela Rayner, local MP Mary Foy and a number of other Labour activists ordered a curry to Durham Miners Hall and were filmed chatting in a small kitchen that made social distancing impossible.

Tory MPs accused Sir Keir of 'acting one way when the camera is on him and another when he thinks it is not'.

The new evidence follows a bruising week in which police announced they would reinvestigate the Beergate event on April 30 last year.

A memo from the event, leaked to the Mail on Sunday, revealed the curry dinner was pre-arranged with no work planned for afterward, contradicting Sir Keir's claim that it was a spontaneous meal while conducting Labour business.

On April 29 last year, while on the campaign trail for the Hartlepool by-election, Sir Keir met with Labour MPs Diana Johnson and Emma Hardy in Hull. 

In a photograph posted on social media by Mrs Johnson, chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, the two MPs and Sir Keir are seen standing outside a restaurant while maintaining social distancing.

In a caption, Mrs Johnson said: 'Delighted to welcome Labour leader Keir Starmer to Hull this evening with Emma Hardy MP at Humber Street for a tasty dinner, although a bit chilly sitting out!'

But the following evening Sir Keir and party delegates ordered a curry – which could allegedly have fed 30 people – and were filmed chatting indoors. 

The Labour leader has consistently claimed it was a work event and neither he nor colleagues broke any rules.