Durham Police to Investigate Kier Starmer over breaking lockdown rules

Good post hpq

Who’s the favourite to replace Boris?

Lisa Nandy was excellent on the Sophie Raworth show this morning, wouldn't be tricked or tripped up. Coherent, polite and informed. So unlike someone else I could mention. An interesting point being discussed on twitter today, this could all blow up in Johnson's face; in the unlikely event of Starmer getting a PCN, he should/could resign as he demanded of Johnson, and to suit the baying mob. This would not only prove that he is a man or morals and honesty, but would force Johnson to resign too, as the receiver of a PCN
I am unbelievably angry at how the police and the BBC are being manipulated by the right wing, non-dom press, and even more angry with those mugs who read the trash and believe it.

.... the bookies reckon the next Labour leader will be a female. I think Yvette Cooper fancies her chances.

I don't care about partygate or beergate to be honest - however I do care about the hypocrisy of Starmer banging on about it for weeks when he clearly participated in a social event of his own. He said they decided at the last minute to order curry as there was nowhere open to eat - both lies, the curry was planned in advance and there were plenty of places to eat including his own hotel, this has been confirmed by local restaurant owners. They were supposed to return to work afterwards - this did not happen, he went straight back to his hotel. This was a social gathering - the presence of alcohol backs that up, it may have started as a work event but it ended up as a social one. I believe there are witnesses who attended who will confirm the end of the evening was purely social.

Durham police never investigated the event initially, they "assessed" it - an investigation has now been opened given new evidence has been brought to their attention. Their policy is no retrospective fines - however that was also the policy of the Met and they made an exception for Boris and Co, therefore Durham police would have to follow suit so as to appear even handed. Pleased to see Boris has not tried to make capital out of the furore, unlike Starmer who could not shut up about it.

There are splits in the Labour camp.
Actually Anniebach I agree with you - Corbyn’s supporters are behind Starmer’s woes.

The sharks scent blood and are circling....
“Lisa Nandy refuses to rule out leadership bid following leaked ‘beergate’ memo. But the shadow levelling up secretary refused to answer if Sir Keir should resign if fined, labelling him 'Mr Rules'”

I see that Andrew Neil writes for the DM.

I’m sympathetic to students who had a rough deal, less so to students who target Labour and leak to the right wing odd ball Lawrence Fox. I don’t agree they probably had less freedom than prisoners during lockdown.
I’m increasingly concerned that the Daily Mail appears to set the news agenda.
I’m usually defending the bbc but their tv and radio seems to follow the DM agenda. That isn’t impartial or analytical

Devorgilla

MaizieD, my apologies for not giving you your accolade for being the first to highlight the Guardian article. I rarely open links, especially if I already have access to the article. You, quite rightly, deserve the honour of being first to mention it.
I take your point about the student being 3rd Year and therefore having more 'freedom'. Nevertheless, their experience of University was so much less than those of us who went in easier times.

I'm sorry if you thought I was being snippy, Devorgilla. I thought I was being helpful ☹

A thought has struck me that in 50 year's time those students could be muttering about youngsters at Uni not knowing how lucky they are because when they went to Uni in the covid years they were locked down and didn't have any fun [grin}. Like our generation's tendency to bang on about 17% mortgages in the 70s...

varian I posted then saw what you'd written. Exactly.

And that's the difference volver.

For example, the gathering in former Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill's office on 18 June 2020 was a leaving party for Hannah Young. Helen MacNamara, Head of Propriety and Ethics, the woman responsible for standards in Whitehall, took in the karoake machine. This was at a time when public performance including singing was banned. The party, described as raucous went on until 3:00 in the morning of the 19th, the day of the PMs birthday. The office shares a garden with 10 Downing Street, the garden where Cummings gave his press conference. He is known to have attended this party.

www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/former-government-ethics-chief-fined-over-cabinet-office-lockdown-party

Unless any evidence emerges to the contrary, the Starmer gathering in Durham was a very different kind of event. I suspect as Devorgill said upthread, this was students disgruntled at how their own lives had been disrupted by coronavirus restrictions seeking to publicise what they thought was wrong doing and, thanks to Laurence Fox and social media it has gained traction in the news. We shall see.

My neighbours and I were part of a community initiative to send in hot food to hospital staff working on the front line when their in-house cafes was shut down. Staff would tell us what time they hoped to have a break in the evening and we'd book pizza and curry to be sent in. Isn't this the same kind of thing?

I asked a friend who is much more involved than I am in active politics what could possibly be behind the blocked out line. Her immediate reply was the day's itinerary. As she explained, MPs live in dangerous times and their security need to know their schedule, as she said, right to the minute. A reflection on our less tolerant times.
As far as I am concerned there is no case to answer. On the other hand, the Sue Gray report........ But that's a thread for another day.

MaizieD, my apologies for not giving you your accolade for being the first to highlight the Guardian article. I rarely open links, especially if I already have access to the article. You, quite rightly, deserve the honour of being first to mention it.
I take your point about the student being 3rd Year and therefore having more 'freedom'. Nevertheless, their experience of University was so much less than those of us who went in easier times.

Are the Durham police supposed to investigate all the hospital workers who were gathered together in the hospital canteen eating curry or anything else after 9 or 10 pm during the restrictions?

Yes indeed. I'm also quite surprised that people think they weren't working just because it was 10pm.

And late night meetings …

Ah, the pizzas I've eaten in conference rooms...

Maybe you and I just had sad working lives volver. Not that I would willingly attend a karaoke party.

Something just occurred to me.

Do people actually think that they had scheduled an hour and 20 minutes to eat a takeaway curry and that they didn't plan to talk about work during that time? Every work event with takeaway food I've ever been at, is mainly talking about work. Unlike, say, a Karaoke Party or an Abba Party.

Galaxy

Quite like to know how that itinerary got into the public domain.

It may turn out to be good for the case but it has certainly fed the monsters of the right-wing press for whom fact rarely seems to matter.

Actually, Lucky Starmer. Labour would have had a bigger knock. Funny how Durham police waited until after the local elections to make their announcement.?

Yes Urmstongran, funny in the same way that the MET put a block on releasing any further fines to No 10 / Johnson until after the local elections!

Galaxy

Quite like to know how that itinerary got into the public domain.

I wouldn't have thought that anyone who had a copy would consider that it was in any way damaging. It was just a normal plan of the day's events. Possibly some got left behind in the Miners' Hall...

I wouldn't care to speculate much on who leaked it, but I suspect someone on the sinister wing of the party...

From the Durham student's viewpoint, you need to put it in the context of the draconian methods used to restrain students during lockdown in Durham. I know that for a fact as one grandson was at Durham during that time. They had security guards patrolling the grounds and felt like they were prisoners.

That would be in the halls of residence which are mainly for first year students. The rest take over a very large amount of Durham's former private residences. I doubt they were heavily policed.

And we were all virtual prisoners, weren't we? Millions of people had to miss all sorts of socialising. I'm not criticising the student you quote, Devorgilla, I feel sorry for students who missed what they thought would be the 'student experience', but we were all supposed to be 'in it together'.

This is from the same persons Twitter Feed date yesterday

The idea that the police could criminally sanction the leader of the opposition for meeting, for an hour, with a local MP - and having dinner late in the evening - days before an election in that area is, to me, quite absurd. The law needs to be interpreted liberally as electoral politics are strongly protected by the rights to freedom of speech and assembly. COVID rules allowed for gatherings indoors if reasonably necessary for work and/or volunteering. I'm not going to say anything more as I know people think it must be political because it involves a politician but I would happily have said the same about any party leader or politician at the time.

Quite like to know how that itinerary got into the public domain.