SWEATING Sir Keir Starmer was feeling the heat last night — after police revealed they have launched a formal investigation into his Currygate bash.
Cops announced they have “significant new information” that the Labour leader may have broken lockdown rules.
Former head of the Crown Prosecution Service Sir Keir and his deputy Angela Rayner have stirred the pot for months by demanding PM Boris Johnson resign simply for being investigated over June 2020’s Partygate.
But the Labour pair humiliatingly now face calls to quit over the bash at Durham Miners Hall while indoor socialising was illegal on April 30, 2021. Tory MP Graham Stuart said: “It’s the po-faced, self-regarding, smug, naked hypocrisy of Starmer on Partygate that makes his comeuppance so satisfying.
“Every speech, every interview, every script he used to try to force out the Prime Minister can now be deployed against him. Hoist with his own petard!”
Durham Police announced their investigation just hours after local election polling stations closed on Thursday.
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It came after days of police silence and an ever-changing story from Sir Keir about what happened a year ago, when students filmed him swigging a San Miguel inside the hall with dozens of people.
At the time England was in Stage 2 of lockdown, meaning any indoor mixing between households was banned, but groups of six could meet outside pubs and restaurants.
Sir Keir had insisted none were open nearby and the footage was merely him working at 10pm.
Police had dismissed the matter in January after reviewing a video.
But they came under huge pressure to look again after it emerged that Sir Keir and Ms Rayner were there, along with bodyguards and up to 30 other people.
It comes after two students who witnessed Sir Keir at the bash told Trending In The News that police had failed to contact them.
The new information is also likely to include revelations that Labour ordered £200 of takeaway curries for the bash, and that it was witnessed by Met Police bodyguards.
Last week Labour admitted that Ms Raynor had attended the event after previously denying it. The party has not said who the 30 other people were, and appeared to admit they breached lockdown guidance that said do not share food.
Ministers, MPs and ex-police chiefs had heaped pressure on cops to do a proper investigation after Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were slapped with £50 fines over a nine-minute birthday celebration in No 10.
Richard Holden, Tory MP for North West Durham, had told cops: “It’s vital that the man who wants to be Prime Minister is held to the same standard as the Prime Minister and everybody else.”
Yesterday afternoon police confirmed in a statement: “Earlier this year, Durham Constabulary carried out an assessment as to whether Covid-19 regulations had been breached at a gathering in Durham City on April 30 2021.
“At that time, it was concluded that no offence had been established and therefore no further action would be taken.
“Following the receipt of significant new information over recent days, Durham Constabulary has reviewed that position and now, following the conclusion of the pre-election period, we can confirm that an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations relating to this gathering is now being conducted.”
In January, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “needs to do the decent thing and resign” after he became embroiled in lockdown breach allegations.
Ms Rayner also said Mr Johnson had to go simply because he was under investigation. She tweeted: “Boris Johnson’s Downing Street is under police investigation, how on Earth can he think he can stay on as Prime Minister?”
When the cops opened their probe into Boris Johnson, Sir Keir blasted: “Honesty and decency matter. After months of denials the Prime Minister is now under criminal investigation for breaking his own lockdown laws. He needs to do the decent thing and resign.”
He has repeated the call dozens of times on TV and in the Commons in the past three months.
Last night he faced a backlash within his own party. One Labour aide told left-wing blog Joe.co.uk: “I just don’t want to get fined for having a curry with Keir Starmer.
“It was already a bad Friday night. The curry was bad and the chat was worse.”
And a Labour MP told the website they would not be doing media interviews because Labour’s position was “indefensible”.
They blasted the “haphazard” messaging from party HQ, adding: “If they hadn’t lied about Angela, I’d be more inclined to believe them. If I jump to defend him, I’ll look more stupid than the Tories.”
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng welcomed the probe, saying: “Only a matter of time. The law should be applied fairly and consistently.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries hit out: “It is right and proper that Durham Police are finally, properly investigating. Keir Starmer is the man who wants to be PM.
“On Sunday he said police had not yet contacted him/his office. Hoping police confirm that this is the case. Are you ready to stand by your own position, Sir Keir? You called for this almost daily for months.”
Tory MP Lee Anderson tweeted: “Will Captain Hindsight now become Major Hypocrite?”
Workington MP Mark Jenkinson added: “Shifty Starmer’s accounts of what happened at his beer and curry night just don’t add up.”
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Sir Keir insisted on a visit to the North West: “I understand police need to do their job but I’m confident there was no breach of rules.”
A Labour spokesman said: “We’re obviously happy to answer questions there are and remain clear no rules were broken.”
