Police have cleared Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner of any wrongdoing over the Durham 'beergate' event.
Sir Keir and Ms Rayner had previously said they would quit if found to have breached lockdown rules at the event in City of Durham MP Mary Foy's office last year.
Sir Keir - who had called for Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak to resign over attending Downing Street lockdown events - drank beer and ate curry at the event. Labour have said the food was consumed between work meetings, meaning it was within the rules.
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Durham Police have now confirmed this after an extensive investiagtion, in a statement issued this afternoon they 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 th 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. The final evidence supplied by participants from the local constituency was returned to Durham Police on 5 th July and analysed by investigators against all the evidence before the investigation was concluded on 8 th July 2022.
"In line with established national policing guidelines, we will not name or otherwise identify any of those present at the gathering, all of whom have been informed of the investigation outcome by their legal representatives."
A Labour Party spokeswoman said: “Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have always been clear that no rules were broken in Durham.
“The police have completed their investigation and have agreed saying that there is no case to answer.”
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