Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of Labour, and Angela Rayner, his deputy, have dodged police fines for their Beergate altercation.
It indicates that the top two Labour officials won’t have to keep their word on their resignation.
Durham Constabulary accepted the pair’s justification that the drunken curry they hosted with 15 other people in April of last year qualified as a “business function.”
After closing its investigation into allegations that the gathering, which was held at Durham’s Miner’s Hall, violated Covid standards, the force determined there was “no case to answer.”
Both Sir Keir and Ms. Rayner had had pledged to resign if they received Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for violating the lockdown guidelines.
According to Durham Constabulary, the incident on April 30 was “reasonably necessary work,” hence no penalties will be issued and “no further action will be taken.”
With their promise to retire if it was determined that they had broken Covid guidelines, Sir Keir and Ms. Rayner were accused by Tories of “essentially blackmailing” police.
They also compared the Prime Minister’s fine from the Metropolitan Police during the Partygate controversy to Sir Keir evading an FPN from Durham Constabulary.
According to MailOnline, Conservative MP Michael Fabricant expressed surprise at Durham Police’s decision not to fine Starmer and Rayner.
Many people would believe that Starmer, who is a QC and a lawyer, blackmailed Durham Police by threatening to bring down the Leader of the Opposition if they fined him in order to avoid going to jail.
“Many ordinary people will feel that this is another Establishment con,”
Mr. Johnson was penalized for attending the PM’s 56th birthday celebration in Number 10 even though he was not aware it was being planned, together with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
According to a report by senior government servant Sue Gray, the meeting took place on June 19, 2020, and lasted “around 20 to 30 minutes.” It featured sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks, and beer cans.
People in Durham will be shocked to find that Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner were permitted to socialize and drink with people from outside their home under Covid restrictions, according to a Tory source.
Clearly, other forces hold a different perspective. Of course, Keir Starmer would have resigned two months ago if he held himself to the same standards he requires of others.
Back in January, when the Met Police first began their Partygate investigation and before any fines had been levied by Scotland Yard, Sir Keir and Ms. Rayner both demanded that Mr. Johnson step down as prime minister.
Three weeks ago, Sir Keir and Ms. Rayner returned a police questionnaire on Beergate, and since then, they have been anxiously awaiting the results of the Durham Constabulary inquiry.
The possibility of a Labour leadership challenge being held concurrently with the race to succeed Boris Johnson as Tory leader was kept open by their pledge to quit if they had been fined.
Durham Constabulary released their conclusions regarding the Beergate incident and stated: “A significant amount of witness and documentary evidence was acquired which identified the 17 participants and their activities during that gathering.
It has been determined that there is no case to answer for a violation of the regulations resulting from the use of an exception, namely labor that is deemed reasonably essential.
Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any Fixed Penalty Notices in relation to the gathering as a result, and no other action will be taken.
Sir Keir wrote on Twitter in response to the police announcement: “I’ve always said no rules were broken when I was in Durham.” Police concluded their investigation and came to the conclusion that there was no case to answer.
“This was always a matter of principle for me.” Integrity and honesty are important. You can depend on me to give you that.
During a meeting with union representatives, Ms. Rayner was informed of the news and exclaimed, “Lo and behold. I don’t commit crimes.
We’ve always been clear that no regulations were breached in Durham, she added in a tweet. After concluding their inquiry, the police concurred, stating that there was no case to answer.
“In politics, integrity matters. It is impossible to overstate the contrast between my behaviour and that of this disgraced prime minister.
A confidence vote in the government was threatened earlier today by Ms. Rayner if Boris Johnson did not quit Number 10 immediately.
She urged Tory MPs to “get their act together” and speed the Prime Minister’s departure, warning that if they don’t, a Labour campaign to topple the Government will be launched.
After watching swathes of Tory MPs and ministers depart him in a chaotic 48-hour period, the PM yesterday announced his resignation.
He does, however, aim to serve as the “caretaker” prime minister when a new Conservative leader is picked to take his place.
It implies that Mr. Johnson might still work in Downing Street for several more weeks.
This has infuriated Tory critics, who demand his immediate resignation. Some have suggested Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, as a temporary replacement.
These Tory dissidents are being effectively dared to act by Labour.
If Mr. Johnson does not resign from No. 10 immediately, Sir Keir has threatened to introduce a resolution of confidence in the House of Commons.
By tradition, the Government always accedes to the Leader of the Opposition’s request for a motion of confidence.
A general election might be called if the Government were to lose a vote on that motion.
‘If the Conservatives don’t get their act together and get rid of Boris Johnson, you know, he’s got no confidence of his own party,’ Ms. Rayner said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
He is a confirmed liar who is mired in slime, and we can’t put up with this for another several months.
Therefore, they must remove him, and if they don’t, a vote of no confidence will be held since it is obvious that neither the House nor the British public have trust in him.
Labour run the risk of unifying the Tories if they do force through a confidence vote, despite their efforts to speed up Mr. Johnson’s resignation as prime minister.
Insisting that it would be unlikely for the Conservatives to overthrow their own Government and call for a general election, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen, who is one of those who called for Mr. Johnson’s resignation, has called Sir Keir’s plan “futile.”
He said on LBC: “Every time Labour tries to push Conservatives to participate in confidence votes, all it accomplishes is to get Conservatives to align themselves with Boris Johnson.”
It would be pointless. The country does not require a general election.