Sir Keir Starmer is under scrutiny after his personal voice coach, actress Leonie Mellinger, allegedly traveled more than 50 miles between lockdown tiers to meet him during Stay at Home orders. The controversial meeting took place at his office for a Brexit press conference while London was under the strictest Tier 4 lockdown restrictions.
Allegations of rule-breaking
Leonie Mellinger, who is reported to reside in Brighton, documented her journey back home on social media despite the town being under looser Tier 3 restrictions on Christmas Eve 2020. Tier 4 regulations at the time mandated that individuals must stay at home and not cross tier boundaries without a legal exemption, with most workplaces and retail outlets closed.
Political backlash
Both No10 and the actress avoided addressing how her work qualified for key worker status, typically reserved for those directly aiding the public or contributing to the pandemic response. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced intense questioning on the matter during a NATO press conference in Brussels, where he asserted that all rules were adhered to before swiftly exiting to evade further interrogation.
Calls for investigation
The Conservative party is calling for an independent inquiry into whether the travel and meeting complied with the stringent Tier 4 regulations. Shadow Paymaster General Richard Holden criticized Downing Street for attempting to downplay the situation and urged Sir Keir Starmer to appoint an impartial investigator promptly.
A Labour spokesperson maintained that all rules were followed, while Ms. Mellinger declined to provide an explanation regarding the compliance of her travel with the regulations.
