New Starmer Beer Inquiry ISN’T

As the possibility of alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson receiving several more of those fixed penalty notices for attending Downing Street parties that weren’t really happening, or that he didn’t know were parties, so his devotees in that part of the media, those who are fully paid-up Bozo boosters, have persuaded themselves that the lawbreaking could not possibly be limited to The Blue Team.

So it was that an image of Keir Starmer drinking what looked like a beer after a session campaigning took on great significance: here was the proof that the Rotten Lefties™ were at it too. Sadly for those out there on the right, the relevant Police force decided that no breach of the Covid regulations had occurred. And that should have been that.

But, for the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, Ron Hopeful is ever present, and so it came to pass that they proclaimed “Durham Police To Re-Examine Keir Starmer Covid Rule-Breaking … POLICE REEXAMINING STARMER CASE”. The missing word “alleged” may be a serious lapse of judgment.

But do go on. “Richard Holden MP confirming Durham Deputy Chief Constable will ‘make enquires’ with the Constabulary’s investigation team over Starmer’s potential rule-breaking in April 2021”. Note, however, that the response to Holden tells “The Chief Constable has asked me to respond to the matters you raised in your letter and also to consider the matters you raise under the Freedom of Information Act”.

That does not say that any allegation of lawbreaking is being re-examined. But some of the assembled idiocy had already seen something that wasn’t there. And the idiocy is especially strong with former Fawkes teaboy Tom Harwood, now at Gammon Broadcasting™ News (“Bacon’s News Channel”), who has claimed erroneously “EXCLUSIVE: Durham Police to re-examine Keir Starmer beer case”. Do go on.

“Tory MP [Richard Holden] told by Durham police that enquiries will be made with the investigation team … He will be updated with the result of those enquiries”. Also swallowing the Kool-Aid was Harwood’s GB News pal, the deeply unpleasant Dan Wootton. “Boom! As I've been calling for over many months. If Boris broke the rules being presented a cake by his work colleagues, then Starmer certainly did by downing booze”.

But Liam Thorp, political editor of the Liverpool Echo, had actually read the letter from Durham Constabulary, and had bad news for Tom’n’Dan. “Yeah that really isn’t what the letter says. It’s an FOI that they have to respond to”. Adam Bienkov of Byline Times took the step that any actual journalist should - he contacted Durham Police.

And the news he brought was not good for The Great Guido and others out there on the right. “Asked whether Durham Police are re-examining the case against Keir Starmer, their spokesperson tells me: ‘that’s not the case … As a courtesy we've replied to Mr. Holden to confirm we've received his letter and will consider its contents before responding in due course.’” You never take the Fawkes blog, a borderline fake news outfit, on trust.

That tells you all you need to know about The Great Guido, GB News, and anyone who takes either of them seriously. Blazing trousers all round. Another fine mess, once again.

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