Ahead of Thursday’s local elections, there had been talk among MPs that it could serve as a referendum on partygate and lead to questions about Boris Johnson’s future as leader. Instead, it’s Keir Starmer who is facing questions about Covid breaches and how long he will stay in post. After Durham Police announced on Friday that they would investigate the so-called Beergate event – when he was pictured drinking a beer indoors in Durham with Labour staff last April while the rest of England was under stage 2 Covid rules – new details have come to light.
This taps into a worry among some Tory MPs and ministers that Starmer could actually resign
Over the weekend, the Mail on Sunday published a memo suggesting the takeaway was pre-planned and Starmer did not return to work afterwards. Further accounts have emerged of the evening alleging junior staffers were drunk at the so-called work event. In a sign that this is at the very least derailing Starmer’s agenda – and any efforts to capitalise on the gains his party made on Thursday – the Labour leader has pulled out of a public speaking engagement today. Starmer has been due to speak at an Institute for Government event ahead of tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech. Given that event was meant to include a Q&A, the likelihood of Starmer being able to stay on message was unlikely.
As for Starmer’s party, he has so far received a mixed bag of support. Members of the shadow cabinet are suggesting he has done nothing wrong and should not resign even if fined. London Mayor Sadiq Khan – speaking to Politico from New York – has adopted a similar stance, suggesting Starmer should be judged differently given unlike Boris Johnson he didn’t actually make the rules (even if he did vote for them and at times criticise the government for not going further). But on the left of the party, the knives are coming out. Jeremy Corbyn ally Diane Abbott has said Starmer should consider his position if fined.
Where does this all lead? Tory MPs are certainly revelling in the fact that for once it is Labour on the back foot on parties. It has also helped to take attention away from the Conservatives losing almost 500 seats in the local elections. There is little sympathy for Starmer on parties as the majority of Tories believe he overstepped by calling for the Chancellor to resign for arriving early to a meeting. But where Tory opinion starts to differ is on what counts as a good outcome. While Nadine Dorries has suggested Starmer should follow his own advice on police investigations and resign (this is what he suggested Johnson should do), Jacob Rees-Mogg said all he would need to do if fined is pay it and then focus on bigger issues.
This taps into a worry among some Tory MPs and ministers that Starmer could actually resign if fined. Having your opposition leader taken down a peg or two and unable to bring up partygate is clearly a good scenario for the Tories. Having that opposition leader resign on principle to then potentially be replaced by a fresh new leader who could prove more popular with the public is a scenario many Tories could currently do without.
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