The announcement tarnishes the good electoral results obtained by Labor in local elections, the results of which sound like a sanction of “partygate” for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The leader of the Labor Party, Keir Starmer, the first opponent of the head of government, is in turn implicated for possible breaches of the regulations against Covid-19, the police said on Friday May 6.
The contentious grouping dates back to April 2021 when the Labor leader was campaigning for a partial legislative vote. Indoor gatherings were banned but Keir Starmer said he ordered curries and beers for the team that met that evening at party premises in Durham, north-east England. This was, according to him, the only possible solution with the restaurants closed.
The police had already looked into this meal of about thirty people and concluded that“no offense had been established”but many details have since emerged in the press, especially the tabloid DailyMail, marked on the right, which has devoted several “ones” to the case in recent days. On Friday, the police justified the opening of the investigation by the receipt of “significant new information”.
Labor denies breaking the rules
“Of course, we will answer all questions”underlined a Labor spokesman, repeating that“no rules were broken”. A few weeks after the fine imposed on Boris Johnson in the “partygate”, the opening of this investigation, however, places Keir Starmer in a delicate position. The Labor leader has repeatedly called on the Prime Minister to resign in response to the holiday scandal in Downing Street during the lockdowns.
Boris Johnson was fined for a brief appearance at a surprise birthday party for his 56th birthday on June 19, 2020. According to British press reports, the prime minister has attended at least five of the dozen other rallies on which police of London is still investigating. At the announcement of the opening of an investigation targeting Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer had mentioned a “mark of shame” and called on the head of government to tender his resignation.
