Labour has rejected claims that a leaked planning memo about Keir Starmer’s visit to Durham last year undermined his assertion he did not break lockdown laws, insisting he is “Mr Rules”.
The Labour document, published by the Mail on Sunday, shows that an 80-minute dinner with the Labour MP Mary Foy, featuring a takeaway curry, was planned as part of his schedule.
Starmer has repeatedly claimed that the meal, at which he was pictured drinking beer, did not break lockdown rules because he was eating in the course of work, and not attending a social event.
The announcement by Durham police on Friday that they were reopening their investigation into the event has led Tories to accuse the Labour leader of hypocrisy as he called for Boris Johnson’s resignation when police opened an investigation into lockdown breaches at No 10.
Tories argued the memo was evidence the meal was in breach of lockdown rules because it showed that it was prearranged – to take place between 8.40pm and 10pm – and not just a spontaneous decision to order food as work extended into the evening, as Starmer’s account of the evening has implied.
Starmer has also claimed that after his meal he continued working. But the leaked schedule showed that after the meal he was due to return to his hotel.
In a separate report, the Sunday Times quoted an unnamed source who was present at the gathering saying Starmer did not return to work after his meal and that Foy and her staff were not present for work purposes,...
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