Sir Keir Starmer has said he will resign as Labour leader if Durham police fine him for breaching Covid rules at a gathering last year. The event, which took place on 30 April 2021, involved Starmer, deputy leader Angela Rayner, and other Labour activists eating takeaway food and drinking beer during a campaigning trip.
Rayner also confirmed she would step down if issued with a fixed-penalty notice. Durham police launched a new investigation into the gathering last week.
Starmer said he was determined to prove he had “different principles to the prime minister”, Boris Johnson, who was fined for a lockdown-breaching birthday party in Downing Street. “If the police decide to issue me with a FPN, I would of course do the right thing and step down,” Starmer stated.
Rayner said: “If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down.” She maintained no rules were broken, describing the event as working during a long day.
The Labour leader cancelled a speech at the Institute for Government to address the pressure, causing frustration among some MPs who felt it distracted from local election gains and the Queen’s speech.
