Sunday 8 May 2022

Beergate And Partygate

Keir Starmer's joy at thumping the Conservatives at the local elections must have been numbed slightly after the announcement that he is being investigated by Durham Police for a possible break of lock-down rules in April 2021.
As the Conservative Party came out to support Boris Johnson when he was being pilloried for breaking the law, the Labour Party big-wigs have been out in force to explain how a beer and a curry with his colleagues while on the campaign trail is very different to what Boris got up to and they do have a point, but if Keir is the latest recipient of a Fixed Penalty Notice for breaking Covid rules, he has to go.
While it was Boris who made, and then broke, his own rules, Keir voted and supported them and has been making almost daily calls for the Prime Minister to resign after the Police delivered his fine which puts the Labour man in a very awkward position if a buff envelope lands on his own doormat shortly.    
The Police may yet come down on Labour's side of the fence which is that Keir merely had a drink and shared a takeaway meal with party colleagues as allowed for 'work purposes' or they may go along with the Tory MPs and right wing press claiming that this was a social gathering or party for 30 people and not work.
I like Keir, he is not a bundle of laughs but we need a serious and a tad boring person in charge but while part of me feels he is being stitched up by the Tories and right wing as a way of diluting Boris's own partygate scandals, another part of me see's this as a chance to install the formidable Angela Rayner as Labour leader.
As the police investigated previously and found no case to answer, it is stated that they have reopened the case after new evidence came to light and Keir has already been shown to have made an 'honest mistake' when he stated the aforementioned Mrs Rayner wasn't present when she was which could put a crimp in her own leadership prospects but for now, the Tories have 'Beergate' to throw at him whenever he brings up their failings at keeping to their own laws.

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