Sir Keir Starmer said he would do “the right thing" and step down as Labour leader if he is fined by police over claims that he broke coronavirus laws by having a takeaway and a beer in Durham last year. In a televised statement this afternoon, the party leader repeatedly denied breaching any rules.
Sir Keir accused the Conservatives accusing him of breaking lockdown rules of “trying to feed cynicism to get the public to believe all politicians are the same”. Speaking from Labour’s London headquarters, he said: “I believe in honour, integrity and the principle that those who make the laws must follow them and I believe that politicians who undermine that principle, undermine trust in politics, undermine our democracy and undermine Britain."
The Labour leader said laws "were followed at all times" and explained that he "simply had something to eat while working late in the evening as any politician would do days before an election". However, he added: "If the police decide to issue me with a fixed-penalty notice I would, of course, do the right thing and step down.”
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In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations. Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie Johnson and the Chancellor received fines for breaking Covid laws in April, along with dozens others working in Whitehall and Downing Street.
Having faced days of damaging headlines over claims he broke the rules himself, Sir Keir appears to be putting pressure on the prime minister over his refusal to resign. Sir Keir has suggested he will even stand down if Durham Constabulary fine him for breaching the rules over the event in April last year but decline to issue a fine retrospectively.
He told reporters: “If you’ve made a law you should respect the law and if you’re found to be in breach of it you should step down." Deputy leader Angela Rayner made similar comments in her own statement, insisting she was at the event “working in my capacity as deputy leader and that no rules were broken”. She said: “Eating during a long day’s work was not against the rules. We have a Prime Minister who has been found to have broken the rules, lied about it and then been fined. If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down."
On Friday, Durham Constabulary said they had reversed an earlier decision on the case that no offence had been committed, after receiving “significant new information”. At the time of the Durham gathering, non-essential retail and outdoor venues including pub gardens were open, but social distancing rules – which included a ban on indoor mixing between households – remained in place. Labour argues the food was consumed between work events, meaning it was within the rules.
Government minister Chris Philp suggested Sir Keir could be “attempting to pressure the police into clearing him”, describing the move as “deeply inappropriate”. The Tory MP was responding on Twitter to an ITV reporter saying an ally of the Labour leader said the move “puts some pressure on Durham Police who are being leant on in one direction”.
Sir Keir held talks with advisers on his strategy on Monday, having earlier pulled out of a discussion where he would have faced questions over his intentions. He also did not attend a memorial service for former MP James Brokenshire at St Margaret’s Church in Westminster, where he was expected join politicians from across the divide including the prime minister and Cabinet members.
The Labour leader had been under growing pressure to set out his position, having called for the resignation of the PM and Chancellor Rishi Sunak after they were fined for a Covid breach. A pre-emptive announcement on his future if he too is fined will enable him to continue calling for Mr Johnson to leave Downing Street while he is himself under investigation.
