Labour’s Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner cleared by Durham Police of ‘beergate’ lockdown-breaching allegations

Labour leader Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner will not be fined for attending an indoor gathering dubbed “beergate”, meaning the pair do not have to fall on their sword.

In a statement Friday, Durham Constabulary said the event did not contravene coronavirus lockdown regulations as it was judged “reasonably necessary for 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 force added.

An investigation into the event was opened May 6, nearly a year after footage first emerged of Starmer drinking beer with other party members in a break from campaigning for the May 2021 Hartlepool by-election on April 30 2021.

It later emerged that Rayner had also been at the event. Durham Constabulary’s statement reveals there were 17 participants in total at the gathering.

On May 9, the pair pledged to resign from their leadership roles in the event they were fined by the constabulary, while also saying throughout the process that no rules had been broken. 

A spokesperson for the Labour Party welcomed the news, saying: “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.”

Starmer tweeted: “For me, this was always a matter of principle. Honesty and integrity matter. You will always get that from me.”

Tories such as Richard Holden, the MP for North West Durham, had campaigned hard for the police to probe the matter.

The decision strengthens Labour’s position ahead of another torrid week in UK politics, with the opposition party vowing to call a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson’s government next week as the prime minster seeks to hold onto power while the Conservative Party choose his successor.