Durham Police to Investigate Kier Starmer over breaking lockdown rules

Urmstongran

I wonder if all the individuals whose heartbreaking stories he shared on TV should now be contacted & asked how they feel about another lying MP who simply used them as political pawns ?

That could and probably will prove to be slander Urmstongran. Can you get off all your sources of tripe and try and post something that is at least legal.

Whitewavemark2

? duh!

Slowly dawning on
@Conservatives
- and their
@DailyMailUK
cheerleaders - that Durham Police investigation into Starmer could spectacularly backfire on themselves. Further increases intensity of focus on Boris Johnson's own law-breaking; so may prove entirely counter-productive.

The first, and most important question is what prompted the Durham Police to reopen the enquiry?

Durham police have rejected a 225-page dossier alleging that Dominic Cummings perverted the course of justice in his account of the lockdown journeys he made in the north-east of England at the height of the pandemic. [The Guardian]

One of the reasons they gave for not taking this forward was that they must be apolitical.

This is the first and most important question. If the police have acted because of political pressure, they, themselves have broken the law.

Germanshepherdsmum

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

Not just the two of you. Many jobs, except the few remaining ones structured to meet the demands of the Industrial Revolution (1760 - 1840) have changed. Valuing work has changed for both sides. Many people see themselves, even when they are employed as, for example, Germanshepherdsmum Ltd. Employer and employee feel they are paid to do a job.

Getting the job done is what matters. They have a number of hours that are in the contract but they will be used as flexibly as possible to achieve the outcome required.

I have no doubt people would work as late as they felt necessary after a day of canvassing. There is nothing at all strange, to most employed or recently employed people, in that.

? duh!

Slowly dawning on
@Conservatives
- and their
@DailyMailUK
cheerleaders - that Durham Police investigation into Starmer could spectacularly backfire on themselves. Further increases intensity of focus on Boris Johnson's own law-breaking; so may prove entirely counter-productive.

... but what really shocks me is why Starmer was so stupid as to make an issue out of something where his own conduct was not above reproach. What does that tell us about his judgement and his hypocrisy?

We don't know if his conduct was not above reproach.

Parroting the lines that have been fed them by CCHQ and the right wing media tells us volumes about the judgement, hypocrisy and intelligence levels of the parrots, though..

Why on Earth would he play the DMs game and focus attention on a work event that becomes more obviously by the day that it fully complied with the lockdown rules, just to take the focus away from Johnson, his criminal activity and his disastrous election result.

I think his decision is both politically astute and right.

The public deserve better than playing the DMs game.

I wonder if all the individuals whose heartbreaking stories he shared on TV should now be contacted & asked how they feel about another lying MP who simply used them as political pawns ?

Yes GSM just as Boris did “we have to wait for the Police report”. Mind you perhaps Starmer prefers to lie low about it for now. Keep a lower profile about it?

Maybe there wasn't going to be a fridge available for him to hide in.

He could at least have the balls to face up to questions. Can always say he can’t comment on an ongoing police investigation.

I’ve just read about that GG13. The session was to have unscripted questions and maybe Starmer hasn’t got all his ducks in a row yet with Lord Falconer.

... but what really shocks me is why Starmer was so stupid as to make an issue out of something where his own conduct was not above reproach. What does that tell us about his judgement and his hypocrisy?

GrannyGravy13

It’s being reported on ITV news that Mr. Starmer has pulled out of an event today, which included a Q & A with journalists ?

Yes I saw that. Sensible decision imo

It’s being reported on ITV news that Mr. Starmer has pulled out of an event today, which included a Q & A with journalists ?

We need the Sue Gray report.

Your assumption that Starmer is guilty just because the Durham police have re-opened the case is breathtaking...

I think Saetana means it’s because new evidence has come to light MaizieD. Many people are wondering what Keir Starmer will say when he’s re-interviewed. Will his statement line up with what he said last time?

Of course by now most of us have cottoned on that this is yet dead cat thrown onto the table.

This time to take attention away from the disastrous Tory election results.

LilacChaser

Just that really.

Serves the mealy-mouthed hypocrite right.

On another thread I mentioned lots of people who caught covid while lavishing praise on facemasks and their so-called effectiveness. Here's one of them. Not once, but twice

Well I don’t recall face masks being a total method of remaining Covid free. You were asked to wear them to protect others.
As for “a mealy mouthed hypocrite” calling out a bare faced, rule breaking, Immoral, incompetent, lying idiot of a PM then perhaps you should read some other paper than the Daily Mail.

Was Attlee exciting? Probably the best PM we have ever had. When I go to have an operation I want competence and I am not bothered about personality and the ability to put on a show.

Saetana I'd like to ask you if you've ever had a leadership or managerial role where every minute counts? Where you can't pass the buck and where you have to understand every detail of everything that is going on and take responsibility for every decision? Where the agenda that is set for your day goes completely pear shaped and you end up doing everything on it at a different time and in a different place? Where it says you're going back to your hotel at 10pm and you end up working till at least 11:15? (There's a tweet, BTW) Where the curry delivery is late and you end up eating it and drinking a bottle of beer standing up because you don't have time to sit down?

I'm going to guess not. This is how people work these days.

MaizieD

Casdon

Who’s the favourite to replace Boris?

There isn't one really, is there, Casdon? That's why they're so desperate to hang on to him... despite that fact that he's not pleasing many of his MPs.

At least Labour don’t have the same problem. This will pale into insignificance when we have Abbagate.

The wicked part of me muses on BJ getting KS to resign and then he and the Tories bitterly regret who they get in his place. I notice that a lot of Tories find it really hard to rip into a woman unless of course it’s AR. A case of ‘Be careful what you wish for’.

Devorgilla

MaizieD, I didn’t think you were being snippy. I just have a bit of a thing about crediting people with their idea or comments . It comes from watching too many people grab someone’s idea and present it as their own to advance their own career.

Casdon

Who’s the favourite to replace Boris?

There isn't one really, is there, Casdon? That's why they're so desperate to hang on to him... despite that fact that he's not pleasing many of his MPs.

MaizieD, I didn’t think you were being snippy. I just have a bit of a thing about crediting people with their idea or comments . It comes from watching too many people grab someone’s idea and present it as their own to advance their own career.

Urmstongran

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'”

You're just echoing the sort of rubbish I've been reading on twitter, Ug.

I would be extremely surprised if Starmer didn't resign, 'if' he were given an FPN (though perhaps he might fight it through the courts, what with being a lawyer and all that...). He is an honourable man...

You don't seem to understand, Saetana that there is nothing hypocritical about Starmer calling on Johnson to resign. Starmer was calling for his resignation because Johnson LIED to PARLIAMENT, not because he attended several parties. Had Johnson thrown up his hands and immediately admitted to the parties Starmer might not have been quite so insistent.

It's possibly escaped your notice, but LOTOs quite frequently call on PMs to resign when they've made a mess of things. It goes with the territory...

Your assumption that Starmer is guilty just because the Durham police have re-opened the case is breathtaking...