Covid Rule Misinformation BUSTED

As Zelo Street pointed out yesterday, Durham Constabulary have confirmed that, contrary to claims made by Tory MP Richard Holden, and amplified by the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, there will be no re-investigation of allegations that Labour leader Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules while campaigning.

The untrue pretence

For any rational reporter or observer of politics, that would be that, but such is the desperation of those fully subscribed to the adoration of alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson that the lying perpetrated by The Great Guido has now been taken up by a number of bad faith actors, not least those working at the Murdoch Sun and the Rothermere Daily Mail. For them, there is only one imperative.

And that is to gaslight their readers into believing that Labour is just as bad as the Tories, that Starmer broke the rules just like Bozo did, that the cops should therefore be fining both of them, and if they don’t, it’s just so unfair and the Rotten Woke Lefties are to blame.

The factual reality (read Adam's take HERE)

So it was that the Mail thundered “POLICE REVIEW OVER STARMER’S LOCKDOWN DRINKS … Police chief to probe why officers let Labour leader off [not true] … Local party held ‘quiz and social’ on the night he visited [irrelevant] … Full video emerges of Sir Keir swigging beer with colleagues [so what?]”. The lying continues in the supporting article.

“POLICE last night opened the door to a full probe into claims that Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules when he was filmed drinking with party officials … Durham Constabulary said it would consider a request from Tory MP Richard Holden to review a controversial decision that cleared the Labour leader”. The only controversy was that taking no action against Starmer was contrary to the wishes of the Mail’s editors.

The rules that Starmer did not break

Still, if at first you don’t succeed, suck some more seed, eh? Which brings us to the odious flannelled fool Master Harry Cole, continuing his pretence to be a real journalist as political editor of the Murdoch Sun. Like the Mail, Cole claims an “exclusive” for “KEIR’S BEER CRISIS Sir Keir Starmer in fresh row over ‘breaking lockdown rules’ for a ‘quiz and social’”.

Those quote marks are doing some seriously heavy lifting. But do go on. “SIR Keir Starmer was last night embroiled in a fresh row over whether or not he broke lockdown rules like the PM. It emerged an invitation was sent to activists for a ‘quiz and social’ on the same day he was snapped in the party’s Durham office swigging a beer”. So what?

What the Mail and Sun are therefore doing

It didn’t concern Starmer. The result is that Master Cole, like his opposite numbers at the Mail, is misleading, as when he says that “despite rules at the time saying electioneering was no excuse for flouting restrictions”. Did he not bother to consult the rules that he wants his readers to believe Starmer broke? Zelo Street has bothered. And here’s the exception.

“Exception 20: campaigning … Exception 20 is that … (c) the gathering is reasonably necessary for the purposes of campaigning in an election or a referendum held in accordance with provision made by or under an act”. Starmer was campaigning. The gathering was part of that campaigning. It was allowed under the Covid rules.

He didn’t attend the “quiz and social”, which in any case was held virtually. He didn’t break the rules. He isn’t going to get fined. The cops aren’t re-investigating. Case closed.

Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by becoming a Patron on Patreon at

https://www.patreon.com/Timfenton