Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have been handed police questionnaires over an alleged breach of lockdown rules.
In the latest of what has been dubbed the ‘beergate’ scandal, it has now been confirmed that the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party have been given questionnaires by Durham Constabulary over an event held in Durham in April 2021.
The event – which both Starmer and Rayner were present at – took place after day of campaigning for the local elections with party colleagues, and leaked footage shows them having drinks and a takeaway curry was ordered.
It was confirmed by a Labour Party spokesperson, who simply said: “Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have received questionnaires from Durham Constabulary.”
In response to and in the wake of the ongoing Number 10 ‘partygate’ scandal, both Starmer and Rayner have previously said that they will stand down from their roles if they are fined by police over the investigation, but have insisted they are “confident” that no rules were broken.
Starmer said he “put everything on the line”, and insisted that resigning from his role would be “the right thing to do”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have been handed police questionnaires over an alleged breach of lockdown rules / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“I’m absolutely clear that no laws were broken, they were followed at all times,” he has said.
Angela Rayner, MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, said resigning would be “the decent thing”, adding: “No rules were broken. Eating during a long day’s work was not against the rules. We have a Prime Minister who has been found to have broken the rules, lied about it, and then been fined.
“If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down.”
ADVERTISEMENT
At the time the event took place, COVID-19 lockdown rules banned household mixing indoors, with the exception of working, which is why Labour has claimed it can prove the beers and curry shared by its team were part of a working day preparing for the Hartlepool by-election.
However, Durham Constabulary subsequently opened an investigation after calls from Tory MPs for them to investigate the incident.
Durham Police’s investigation is set to carry on at least until June, when any of the at least 15 people present could face a penalty if it is deemed they broke the law.
Featured Image – Parliament TV
News
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
1st June 2022 
