LONDON — British Labour opposition party leader Keir Starmer has been cleared by police of breaching lockdown rules during the COVID pandemic.
Police in Durham investigated a campaign dinner in April 2021 during the run-up to local elections that has been dubbed “beergate” in Westminster.
Starmer and his deputy leader Angela Rayner had promised to quit their posts if fined by the police, in contrast to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson remained in office despite receiving a fine for attending a lockdown gathering in Downing Street, becoming the first sitting U.K. prime minister found to have broken the law — although he has since quit in the wake of other scandals.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have always been clear that no rules were broken in Durham. The police have completed their investigation and have agreed, saying that there is no case to answer.”
