Sir Keir Starmer was working when he met a voice coach during the winter of 2020 and suggestions that it broke lockdown rules are “mudslinging”, a minister has said.
The Prime Minister has denied breaching restrictions in place during the coronavirus pandemic by working with a communication skills specialist on a response to Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.
In excerpts of Get In, a book on Sir Keir’s leadership being serialised by The Sunday Times, the coach, Leonie Mellinger, is described as having qualified for “key worker” status.
She also wore a face mask during the meeting at Labour Party headquarters on Christmas Eve in 2020, according to the book by political journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund.
But opposition critics have seized on the revelation as evidence of what they suggest amounts to a potential breach of lockdown rules, as London and the South East were under regional restrictions at the time.
The Prime Minister said “of course” he did not breach restrictions.
Health minister Karin Smyth defended Sir Keir, saying he was working to prepare for interviews in the run up to the UK leaving the EU.
“I think what we’re seeing again is more mudslinging by the Tories on this issue at a time when they were partying – and we’ve got all the evidence of that, and the sorry tale of that.
“Keir was working. Working was allowed in tier four in London at that time,” she told GB News.
Tory former minister Richard Holden has written to the Prime Minister to ask whether he thinks it flouted the restrictions and insisted he has “serious questions” to answer.
At the end of a press conference during his visit to Brussels on Monday, Sir Keir was asked whether he broke rules during the Covid pandemic.
“Of course not,” he replied before leaving the podium.
Downing Street had repeatedly refused to be drawn on the claims that lockdown rules were breached when asked by journalists earlier on Monday.
Asked if Sir Keir considered the voice coach to be a key worker, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I’m not going to get into any matter to do with opposition.
“The Prime Minister is focused on delivering on the Government’s priorities and the people’s priorities.”
