Keir Starmer kicked out of Raven pub after angry confrontation with landlord

The Labour leader was involved in a heated discussion about lockdown measures while out in Bath (Picture: PA)

The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been kicked out of a pub by an ‘incandescent’ landlord.

Rod Humphris, who runs The Raven in Bath, shouted at the politician to ‘get out’ during a heated row over lockdown restrictions.

Mr Humpris, who claimed to be a lifelong Labour voter, had to be held back by security guards as he told Sir Keir he was ‘not welcome.’

After the confrontation, Sir Keir tweeted a link to his ‘statement’ in response to what happened, which in fact directed people to the register to vote page of the Government’s website.

The landlord told reporters he was angry at the Labour leader for ‘failing to ask if lockdown was functioning.’

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The 54-year-old said: ‘I had heard that the Labour Party were coming round and he turned up and I told him what I thought of him, basically.

‘I think he has utterly failed us as the leader of the Opposition, he has completely failed to ask the questions that needed asking, like, why did we throw away our previous pandemic preparedness?

‘Why have we just accepted lockdown? Why have we just accepted the loss of all our freedoms?’

The landlord continued: ‘He walked into my pub without asking and I threw him out. Or at least, I did my best to throw him out – his security got in the way.’

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Speaking to Sir Keir outside the pub, Mr Humpris took out a graph he’d printed out showing stats from the Office for National Statistics which showed the average age for a Covid victim was 82 years and three months.

He said that, because this is higher than the average age of death normally, questions needed to be asked about whether lockdowns were necessary.

‘Do you understand we have f***ed our economy because old people are dying?’, the furious landlord continued. 

‘You have failed me. I have been a Labour voter my entire life, you have failed to be the opposition, you have failed to ask if lockdown was functioning.’

The landlord had to be held back as he shouted at the Labour leader (Picture: BPM Media) Sir Keir and Mr Humphris continued to talk outside the pub (Picture: PA) Mr Humphris claimed to be a lifelong Labour voter (Picture: PA) Sir Keir said he profoundly disagreed with the landlord’s views on lockdown (Picture: PA)

Sir Keir, who was wearing a black face mask while inside, left the pub following the confrontation, accompanied by members of his team.

He was in Bath to support West of England metro mayoral candidate Dan Norris ahead of the forthcoming elections.

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It is understood that the Labour leader and his team had pre-arranged the visit to The Raven with a member of the pub’s staff.

In response to Mr Humpris’ comments, he said: ‘I’m afraid I profoundly disagree. I think the vast majority of people here in Bath and elsewhere recognise that the lockdown was necessary, that the restrictions were necessary, that we need to come slowly and carefully out so we never go back into lockdown.

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‘But he took the opposite view, that we shouldn’t have restrictions, I profoundly disagree.’

The Labour Party press office said on Twitter that it would ‘not be amplifying’ the footage of the Labour leader being confronted.

The tweets said: ‘A clip circulating online shows Keir Starmer being confronted by someone spreading dangerous misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic. We will not be amplifying it.

‘Keir argued that our NHS staff have been working tirelessly to protect public health and that restrictions – while painful – have been absolutely necessary to save lives.’

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