Keir Starmer is in the clear over beergate. This lunchtime, Durham Police announced that both the Labour leader and his deputy Angela Rayner have been cleared of breaking lockdown rules at an event involving curry and beer.
When it comes to the event in April 2021, the police said there was ‘no case to answer’ as there was an exemption at the time for ‘reasonably necessary work’.
Responding to the news, a Labour spokesperson said:
‘Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have always been clear that no rules were broken in Durham.’
What does this mean for Labour? It means that Starmer’s gamble – of promising to resign if fined and thereby putting clear blue water between himself and Johnson – has paid off. It caps off an already good week for the Labour party given the Conservative turmoil. As the Tories prepare for a bruising leadership contest following Johnson’s resignation, the Labour party looks stable by comparison.
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