https://sputnikglobe.com/20220530/first-witness-in-keir-starmers-beergate-row-to-be-interviewed-by-police-report-says-1095871848.html
First Witness in Keir Starmer’s ‘Beergate’ Row to Be Interviewed by Police, Report Says
First Witness in Keir Starmer’s ‘Beergate’ Row to Be Interviewed by Police, Report Says
Sputnik International
Keir Starmer remains in hot water after a video emerged last year showing the UK Labour leader drinking beer with colleagues at the office of Durham MP Mary... 30.05.2022, Sputnik International
2022-05-30T09:21+0000
2022-05-30T09:21+0000
2023-05-28T15:19+0000
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Durham police, who are currently probing the “Beergate” row, are set to interview a first witness in connection with a video of UK Labour leader Keir Starmer allegedly breaking 2021 lockdown rules, according to the Daily Mail.On 30 April 2021, Starmer was captured drinking beer with colleagues through the window of the office of Durham MP Mary Foy in the run up to last year’s Hartlepool by-election, a video that was reportedly made by one of the students who saw the Labour leader taking part in the gathering at the time.The Mail reported on Monday that one student is due to give a statement after being contacted by police in the past several days.The newspaper argued that detectives tried to get in touch with the other student who took the 43-second clip of the alleged Durham beer party on his mobile phone over a week ago via his parents.This comes after the two students told the Mail earlier this month how they were shocked to see Starmer through a window of Mary Foy’s office during a coronavirus when indoor socialising was banned.The developments follow Starmer making it clear in mid-May that he does not plan to step down as Labour leader unless he is slapped with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) by Durham Constabulary for breaking COVID rules. The 59-year-old previously told reporters that he would resign if the recently-reopened Durham Constabulary probe into the 2021 Durham party gathering saw him issued a FPN fine.The Mail, meanwhile, released a leaked memo earlier in May, which cast doubt on Starmer’s claims that he did not breach lockdown restrictions during the gathering. The operational note, passed to the newspaper by a whistleblower and purportedly marked “private and confidential”, revealed that the Durham gathering had been planned in advance. The note was released as Starmer reiterated that he was allegedly working and stopped to eat when he was filmed having a beer during last April’s campaign gathering.In February, the police said that they had decided not to open a probe into the issue after reviewing a video of Starmer “drinking and socialising” at Foy’s office last year. Durham Constabulary said at the time they did not believe any offence had been committed by the Labour leader. The police decided to reinvestigate the matter in May “following the receipt of significant new information” about the developments.Senior Tory members, for their part, previously called for a full probe into Starmer’s conduct, arguing that there appeared to be no difference between the event that he attended and the 2020 Downing Street “birthday party”, for which Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fined £50 ($62 dollars) by the Metropolitan Police last month.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220505/former-uk-chief-constable-urges-durham-police-to-reconsider-labour-head-starmers-beergate-scandal-1095279958.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220507/labour-leader-starmer-reportedly-tells-colleagues-hell-resign-if-fined-over-beergate-1095334306.html
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First Witness in Keir Starmer’s ‘Beergate’ Row to Be Interviewed by Police, Report Says
09:21 GMT 30.05.2022 (Updated: 15:19 GMT 28.05.2023) Keir Starmer remains in hot water after a video emerged last year showing the UK Labour leader drinking beer with colleagues at the office of Durham MP Mary Foy during a 2021 COVID lockdown. The gathering is now being re-investigated by Durham Constabulary.
Durham police, who are currently probing the “Beergate” row, are set to interview a first witness in connection with a video of
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer allegedly breaking 2021 lockdown rules, according to the Daily Mail.
On 30 April 2021, Starmer was captured drinking beer with colleagues through the window of the office of Durham MP Mary Foy in the run up to last year’s Hartlepool by-election, a video that was reportedly made by one of the students who saw the Labour leader taking part in the gathering at the time.
The Mail reported on Monday that one student is due to give a statement after being contacted by police in the past several days.
The newspaper argued that detectives tried to get in touch with the other student who took the 43-second clip of the alleged Durham beer party on his mobile phone over a week ago via his parents.
It emerged, however, that the student is “out of the country until the end of next month, potentially delaying a decision on whether Sir Keir or any others present will be fined by several weeks”, the Mail asserted.
This comes after the two students told the Mail earlier this month how they were shocked to see Starmer through a window of Mary Foy’s office during a coronavirus when indoor socialising was banned.
“Keir Starmer had been so vocal about pushing for more lockdown restrictions, so when I saw him I just thought: ‘What a hypocrite’”, one of the students said. Referring to the 30 April 2021 gathering, the student asserted that “it was obviously much more a social event than work”.
The developments follow Starmer making it clear in mid-May that he does not plan to step down as Labour leader unless he is slapped with
a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) by Durham Constabulary for breaking COVID rules. The 59-year-old previously told reporters that he would resign if the recently-reopened Durham Constabulary probe into the 2021 Durham party gathering saw him issued a FPN fine.
The Mail, meanwhile, released a leaked memo earlier in May, which cast doubt on Starmer’s claims that he did not breach lockdown restrictions during the gathering. The operational note, passed to the newspaper by a whistleblower and purportedly marked “private and confidential”, revealed that the Durham gathering had been planned in advance.
The note was released as Starmer reiterated that he was allegedly working and stopped to eat when he was filmed having a beer during last April’s campaign gathering.
“As I've explained a number of times, I was working in the office, we stopped for something to eat, there was no party, no breach of the rules. I'm confident of that but the police have to do their job”, he asserted.
In February, the police said that they had decided not to open a probe into the issue after reviewing a video of Starmer “drinking and socialising” at Foy’s office last year. Durham Constabulary said at the time they did not believe any offence had been committed by the Labour leader. The police decided to reinvestigate the matter in May “following the receipt of significant new information” about the developments.
Senior Tory members, for their part, previously called for a full probe into Starmer’s conduct, arguing that there appeared to be no difference between the event that he attended and the 2020 Downing Street “birthday party”, for which Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fined £50 ($62 dollars) by the Metropolitan Police last month.
