Exclusive: Sir Keir Starmer to be investigated by Durham police over ‘beergate’

Durham Police will investigate Sir Keir Starmer over ‘beergate’ allegations, the Telegraph understands.

Durham Constabulary had previously said they did not believe the Labour leader had breached coronavirus rules when he and colleagues drank beer and had a takeaway curry in April 2021, when most indoor social gatherings were banned.

But following days of mounting pressure and repeated questions over Sir Keir’s version of events, the force is set to announce it will now investigate the claims fully.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “Earlier this year, Durham Constabulary carried out an assessment as to whether Covid-19 regulations had been breached at a gathering in Durham City on April 30 2021. At that time, it was concluded that no offence had been established and therefore no further action would be taken. 

“Following the receipt of significant new information over recent days, Durham Constabulary has reviewed that position and now, following the conclusion of the pre-election period, we can confirm that an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations relating to this gathering is now being conducted.”  

In response to the investigation, the Labour party released a statement saying: “We’re obviously happy to answer any questions there are, and we remain clear that no rules were broken.”

One Labour backbencher suggested Sir Keir would be forced to resign if he is found to have broken the rules.

“It makes logical sense. If you get a fine, you get a fine,” they said. “If I was going to split hairs I would say one was making the rules and the other wasn’t, but I am sure that will be missed by the vast. majority of people.

“Clearly there is a fundamental difference between what was going on in No10 and the culture of drinking and partying from the people who are making the rules to what Keir Starmer is alleged to have done.

“But it’s not great, is it?”

Richard Holden, the local Conservative MP who has urged Durham police to investigate the incident, told The Telegraph: “I’m delighted that the police have finally come to this conclusion. After seeing all the evidence so far, I think it’s the only reasonable conclusion anybody could have come to. 

“After denying that there should be any investigation for weeks, I’m glad that the actions of the Labour leader, the deputy leader and the senior staff will now be properly looked at. I await the outcome of their enquiries.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said it was “only a matter of time” before Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would be investigated by Durham Police over the allegations.

Yvette Cooper, the Labour shadow home secretary, declined to say that Sir Keir should resign if he is fined, despite the Labour leader’s previous calls for the Prime Minister and Chancellor to do just that. 

During an interview on BBC Radio Four’s World at One just moments after the news of the investigation broke, Ms Cooper side-stepped the question. 

“I think that the party has always been very clear about this. It was a work event in the middle of a local election campaign,” Ms Cooper said. She added it would not be appropriate for her to comment on speculation about the case given her brief. 

Sir Keir was filmed drinking a bottle of beer with colleagues in the Durham office of Mary Foy, the local Labour MP, on the night of April 30 last year in the run up to the Hartlepool by-election.

It later emerged they had taken delivery of a large take-away curry order and it was reported as many as 30 people may have been present.

Sir Keir insisted it was not a breach of the regulations because it was simply a meal break during a work event.

But the revelation that Angela Rayner, the Party’s deputy leader, was present at the event, despite repeated denials by the Labour Party, led to fresh questions over the gathering.

After details of the event first came to light in January, Durham Constabulary looked into the matter, but concluded that there had not been a breach.

In a statement issued at the time, the force said it had “reviewed video footage recorded in Durham on April 30 2021” adding that: “We do not believe an offence has been established.”

But it is understood the review was not a full blown investigation. 

Following fresh details the force has now concluded it should look into the matter more fully.

A senior Labour party source and Starmer ally said the investigation into Sir Keir was “ridiculous” and would not make any difference to public opinion about him.

“It’s ridiculous. It just doesn’t seem the same, it’s a completely different thing to organising wild parties during lockdown,” the source said.

“I’m not sure it will make life difficult for him. There are Tories that got fined for Shaun Bailey’s party that were still standing for election yesterday. The impact of it has lessened.”

Even if Sir Keir is found to have breached the coronavirus regulations, it is unlikely he will receive a fixed penalty notice as Durham Constabulary has insisted it does not issue fines retrospectively.

But Scotland Yard’s decision to issue retrospective fines to those who attended illegal Downing Street gatherings, has increased pressure on other forces to do the same.

The ‘beergate’ incident has cast a shadow over Labour’s campaigning for the local elections, with Sir Keir facing repeated questions over the nature of the event.

Tory critics claimed there was no difference between the Labour leader eating a take-away curry with colleagues and the Prime Minister having birthday cake in Downing Street, for which he received a £50 fixed penalty notice.

Earlier this week Sir Peter Fahy, the former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said the force should look at the matter again in the light of new information.