London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Starmer beer claim ‘smears’ could drag on for weeks, top Labour figures warn

Starmer beer claim ‘smears’ could drag on for weeks, top Labour figures warn

Shadow cabinet reveal their frustration after elections as policere-examine allegations of Covid rules breach

Frustration is mounting within the shadow cabinet over Durham police’s decision to re-examine lockdown breach allegations against Keir Starmer, amid claims it has robbed them of the chance to herald Labour’s progress at the local elections.

Senior figures have already been dragged into debates over the conduct of their leader as they attempted to argue that Labour’s gains signalled it was on the road to building an election-winning programme.

One Labour frontbencher was confronted over whether politicians should drink alcohol during working hours after the claims, while another described the allegations against Starmer as a “smear” designed to coincide with the elections. Shadow cabinet figures privately acknowledge the issue has become a frustration that could drag on for weeks.

Durham police waited until polls had closed before announcing on Friday that they were reopening an investigation into a claim that Starmer broke lockdown rules in April last year. The force had previously dismissed the claims, but said it had been handed “significant new information”.

Labour has conceded that deputy leader Angela Rayner was also at the same event as Keir Starmer.


Labour’s political opponents have leapt on a video that appeared to show Starmer drinking a beer while on the Durham visit. Labour has also conceded that deputy leader Angela Rayner was at the event, having previously denied her presence.

The police decision has had an impact on the political fallout from the local elections. While Labour has not made huge gains in its former heartlands lost to the Conservatives, it made progress in swathes of the Tories’ southern strongholds.

In a sign of annoyance among Labour’s top team, Jo Stevens, the shadow Welsh secretary, said she believed the allegations were “a kind of smear that’s been going on to time with the local elections to try and hold up a Tory party that is so badly damaged by the behaviour of the prime minister”.

Asked if Starmer would resign if he received a fine, she told Times Radio: “If we get to that situation – which I think is extremely unlikely on the basis that Durham police have already investigated this complaint and found that no rules have been broken – I’m sure Keir will make a statement at that point.”

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he had “absolute faith and confidence” that Starmer had done nothing wrong.

The incident has muddied the water over Labour’s attack on Boris Johnson for a lockdown breach fine. Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell faced questions on Friday night over whether she ever drank alcohol at work events. “No, not really,” she said. “What you have to understand about our lifestyles is there’s very few occasions when we’re not working, we don’t have 9-5 jobs. We work very late into the evening and start very early in the morning, seven days a week … there is a serious sort of blurring of lines in that.”

Last night, an internal Labour memo emerged documenting the arrangements for the event and the plan to order a curry. Critics of Starmer said that the note, published by the Mail on Sunday, undermined Labour’s defence of the event because it showed it had been pre-arranged and that no work was done after the meal.

However, legal experts questioned its significance. Barrister and lockdown rules expert Adam Wagner said: “The fact it was pre-arranged with social distancing guidelines makes it more likely to be reasonably necessary not less.”

Sources said that such notes often failed to keep up with events and that the takeaway had been late.

While Starmer’s team remains confident that no rules have been broken, the police investigation is politically difficult for him. He has previously called for Boris Johnson to resign when the Met opened an investigation into alleged lockdown parties, even before Johnson had been issued with a fine.

A Labour spokesperson said: “Keir was working, a takeaway was made available in the kitchen, and he ate between work demands. No rules were broken.”

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi yesterday accused Starmer of hypocrisy. Starmer said on Friday: “I was working, I stopped for something to eat. No party, no breach of the rules. The police, obviously, have got their job to do, we should let them get on with it, but I’m confident no rules were broken.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
×