Starmer and Rayner return ‘beergate’ questionnaires

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner have returned questionnaires to police investigating whether they broke lockdown regulations, a party spokesman has said.

Durham Constabulary are looking into whether the rules were violated after Sir Keir was caught on camera drinking a beer in an MP’s office after a day of campaigning for the local elections in Durham in April 2021.

At the time of the gathering, non-essential retail and outdoor venues including pub gardens were open, but social distancing rules, which included a ban on indoor mixing between households, remained in place.

But Labour has argued that food was consumed between work events, meaning it was within the rules.

Last month, Durham Constabulary announced they had reversed an earlier decision that no offence had been committed, after receiving “significant new information”.