UK Police Considering Requests to Re-examine ‘Beergate’ Allegations Against Labour Leader

Labour leader Keir Starmer during a visit to a pensioners drop-in session in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, on May 4, 2022. Danny Lawson/PA Media

Durham Police on Wednesday said it’s “considering” recent requests to re-examine allegations that Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer broke CCP virus lockdown rules in April 2021.

Amid the “partygate” allegations that a number of rule-breaking gatherings occurred in the centre of the Conservative government during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus lockdowns, it emerged in January that Starmer was pictured having a beer in the office of Mary Foy, Labour MP for the City of Durham, on the night of April 30, 2021, when indoor mixing between households was banned under CCP virus rules.

The rules at the time—introduced by the Conservative government and passed Parliament with the support of Labour and other parties—stipulated that colleagues can “gather in larger groups or meet indoors where it is necessary for your work,” adding, “This does not include social gatherings with work colleagues.”

Starmer said the team was working late on an election campaign and had to order takeaway before resuming work as restaurants were closed.

Durham police said on Feb. 7 that they did not believe Starmer and his colleagues broke any rules, but following recent requests for the force to re-examine the case, a spokesman on Wednesday said: “We have received a number of recent communications on this subject, which we are considering and will respond in due course.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Starmer said he had not been contacted by Durham police. The opposition leader also accused the ruling Conservative Party of “mud-slinging” ahead of the local elections on Thursday.

It was revealed last week that Conservative MP Richard Holden had written to Durham police on April 22 asking it to re-examine the “beergate” allegation.

It came after the Metropolitan Police issued fines to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie Johnson, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, and others earlier in April over a surprise birthday get-together for Johnson ahead of a Cabinet meeting on June 19, 2020.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and partner Carrie Symonds leave Methodist Hall after casting their votes in local elections in central London, on May 6, 2021. AFP via Getty Images

The Met is also investigating 11 other gatherings in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office. There’s also an internal investigation into the gatherings led by senior civil servant Sue Gray, and Johnson will be investigated by Parliament’s Committee of Privileges over alleged contempt of the Parliament after the House of Commons voted to note that Johnson’s previous denial of rule-breaking “appear[s] to amount to misleading the House.”

All opposition party leaders, including Starmer, called on Johnson to resign as the prime minister. The demand also came from a number of Conservative MPs, most of whom changed their stance in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Labour previously said Deputy Leader Angela Rayner was not present at the event in Durham, but Starmer confirmed on Sunday that Rayner was present, saying his party made a “genuine mistake.”

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner on Nov. 29, 2021. Dominic Lipinski/PA Media

Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said there’s a “world of difference” between the “partygate” and the “beergate” affairs.

“The prime minister and the chancellor have been fined by the Metropolitan Police whereas Durham police—where this alleged incident took place—said there’s no case to answer,” Reeves told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday.

“The police have been very clear that in 10 Downing Street rule-breaking did happen and in Durham, Keir Starmer did not break the rules,” she added.

“Boris Johnson has lied and lied again, and then covered up the lies to Parliament about what happened at number 10. There is a world of difference between the rule-breaking and the fines that the Prime Minister and his office have received—compared to what Keir did—which is basically working all day in an office and stopping to have some food and a drink.

Speaking on a visit to Yorkshire on Wednesday before Durham Police issued its latest statement, Starmer told reporters that he had “not had contact” from the force.

“We know there’s elections coming, we know what the Conservatives are up to. What we need to do, I think, is focus on the issue in hand, which is the cost of living,” he said.

Asked what he was doing at 11 p.m. in Durham on the night in question, he said: “We were working, we stopped, we ate. No breach of the rules. No party. And I think that’s enough for the mudslinging from the Tories on this.”

Pedestrians walk the streets of the City of London, on April 13, 2021. Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

Sir Peter Fahy, former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said the Durham constabulary should reconsider a beergate probe, but warned of police being “drawn into party politics.”

“I think they should probably just look at the new information and reconsider their situation,” he told BBC Radio 4’s “World at One” programme.

“I think, once again, it highlights that a lot of the legislation around coronavirus was confused [sic], so I think the police have been struggling with this.”

Fahy suggested that what was “almost a deciding factor” in the Met’s decision to investigate the partygate allegations was the “repeated breach of the regulations.”

The Met previously said it would not look into the partygate allegations, citing its policy of not retroactively investigating CCP virus rule-breachers.

“So, I think Durham do need to probably reconsider it, but on the other hand I also think this is really quite dangerous times when policing is sort of being drawn into party politics, and I think that’s starting to happen,” Fahy warned.