SIR Keir Starmer has committed to doing “the right thing” and quitting as Labour leader if he is fined by police over an allegation he broke coronavirus laws in Durham.
The opposition leader repeatedly denied breaking the laws in a televised statement on Monday afternoon from the Labour Party headquarters in London, as he faces pressure over the curry and beer gathering in Durham last year, following an election campaign visit to the North East for last year's Hartlepool by-election.
At the time of the Durham gathering, non-essential retail and outdoor venues, including pub gardens, were open, but social distancing rules, which included a ban on indoor mixing between households, remained in place.
Read more: LIVE: Sir Kier Starmer considers resignation if police find lockdown 'breach' - updates
Sir Keir previously said no restaurants or pubs were open at the time of the alleged breach so “if you didn’t get a takeaway then our team wasn’t eating that evening”.
In an explanation of the incident earlier today during a televised conference, Sir Kier said he will do “the right thing and step down” as Labour leader if he is fined by police.
The British public deserves politicians who “put the country first rather than themselves”, according to the Labour leader.
After pledging to step down if issued with a fixed-penalty notice, Sir Keir said: “This matters. It matters because the British public deserve politicians who think the rules apply to them.
“They deserve politicians who hold themselves to the highest standards. And they deserve politicians who put the country first rather than themselves. They will always, always get that from me.”
“But if the police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice I would of course do the right thing and step down,” he said.
The Labour leader also accused the Conservatives accusing him of breaking lockdown rules of “trying to feed cynicism to get the public to believe all politicians are the same”.
“I believe in honour, integrity and the principle that those who make the laws must follow them and I believe that politicians who undermine that principle, undermine trust in politics, undermine our democracy and undermine Britain,” he said, from Labour’s London headquarters.
“I’m absolutely clear that no laws were broken, they were followed at all times, I simply had something to eat while working late in the evening as any politician would do days before an election.
“But if the police decide to issue me with a fixed-penalty notice I would, of course, do the right thing and step down.”
Angela Rayner issued a statement making a similar commitment, insisting she was at the event “working in my capacity as deputy leader and that no rules were broken”.
“Eating during a long day’s work was not against the rules. We have a Prime Minister who has been found to have broken the rules, lied about it and then been fined. If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down,” she said.
Government minister Chris Philp suggested Sir Keir could be “attempting to pressure the police into clearing him”, describing the move as “deeply inappropriate”.
The Tory MP was responding on Twitter to an ITV reporter saying an ally of the Labour leader said the move “puts some pressure on Durham Police who are being leant on in one direction”.
Sir Keir held talks with advisers on his strategy on Monday, having earlier pulled out of a discussion where he would have faced questions over his intentions.
On Friday (May 6), Durham Police confirmed that an investigation had re-opened on Sir Kier, after seemingly clearing the Labour leader.
A statement from the police force read: “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.”
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