COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Labour leader will stay in post after pledging to resign if fined for having a beer and takeaway curry with staff



Keir Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner, have been cleared by Durham constabulary of breaching lockdown rules over a beer and takeaway curry they had with staff during election campaigning last year, with officers concluding it was a legitimate work event.

In a relief for Labour, the much-anticipated police announcement said an investigation had concluded that the gathering in April 2021 was reasonably necessary for work purposes, and that no fixed-penalty notices had been issued over it.

Starmer and Rayner had promised to resign if they were fined, having called for Boris Johnson to step down after he was fined for attending a lockdown-breaching social event in Downing Street. Both always insisted no rules had been broken.

In a televised statement after the news, Starmer sought to contrast his stance with that of Johnson, saying he had been warned he was “taking a risk” with his political future.

The Labour leader said: “But it was never about that. For me, it was a matter of principle – it shouldn’t be controversial to say that those who make the law can’t break the law.”

Friday’s police statement said: “Following the emergence of significant new information, an investigation was launched by Durham constabulary into a gathering at the Miners’ Hall, in Redhills, Durham on 30 April 2021. That investigation has now concluded.

“A substantial amount of documentary and witness evidence was obtained, which identified the 17 participants and their activities during that gathering. Following the application of the evidential full code test, it has been concluded that there is no case to answer for a contravention of the regulations, due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work.

“Accordingly, Durham constabulary will not be issuing any fixed-penalty notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken. The investigation has been thorough, detailed and proportionate.”