Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner
(Picture: PA Archive)A cabinet minister has piled further pressure on Durham police to open an investigation allegations Sir Keir Starmer broke Covid rules when he was caught on camera sipping a beer with colleagues.
International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan suggested that the force should look again at the “beergate” event on April 30, 2021 where the Labour leader was filmed swigging from a bottle in a room with others.
Sir Keir has insisted he stopped for a break with his team, who had been election campaigning, before resuming work at Durham Miners Hall just after 10pm.
It has since been revealed that Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner was also at the event, a claim the party had previously denied.
Police have previously said no rules were broken.
But North West Durham MP Richard Holden has written to the force urging them to reinvestigate saying it was “clearly a social event that took place after the end of the working day”.
Ms Trevelyan said on Tuesday that Durham constabulary should “look at the situation” in the “same way” the Metropolitan Police has investigated lockdown breaching events in Downing Street and across Whitehall.
She told Sky News: “I understand there is some work ongoing and I would absolutely encourage [police] to look at it.”
At the time of the event, England was under rules that banned indoor gatherings which mixed households. However, there was an exemption for “work purposes”.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace have also encouraged Durham police to reinvestigate after evidence Ms Rayner was at the gathering emerged.
Labour said it was the “mistake” to say she was not there and made in “good faith”.
Sir Keir accused the Conservatives of creating a distraction in the same week as this year's local elections.
He told the BBC: “[Police] have already concluded their investigation. No rules were broken and this is simply being whipped up as mudslinging by Tories.”
The Prime Minister also today insisted he is an “honest” politician after he admitted being “inadvertently” wrong in his comments to Parliament over the partygate row.
Asked whether he is honest following his fine for breaking lockdown restrictions, Mr Johnson told ITV: “Yes. I think the best way to judge that is to look at what this Government says it’s going to do and what it does.”
