Sir Peter Soulsby admitted breaking lockdown laws but faced no action, now call is renewed in light of police investigation into his party leader
A Leicester peer has written to the acting Chief Constable of the local police force demanding the reopening of an investigation into a lockdown breach by the city’s ‘centrist’ Labour mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby.
Baroness Verma’s letter notes that Soulsby admitted breaking lockdown laws at the time, but no action was taken – and calls for the breach to be investigated in the light of a Durham police probe into Keir Starmer’s now-notorious lockdown beer gathering and the anger of many in Leicester at the lack of action so far:
Keir Starmer’s actions and the party’s subsequent attempts to cover up and deflect attention from what really went on has opened a can of worms for his faction. Starmer has said he will resign if fined, but this is a PR scam as Durham police do not issue fines for offences they originally let pass.
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As Skwawkbox has commented Keir Starmer’s attempts to excuse his own breaches of the rules (while his deputy was demanding the resignation of others for “criminal” behaviour) has opened up a can of worms. This latest is only the start of it because in my opinion entitled self important people across the political spectrum broke the lockdown rules with impunity. Police forces which levied fines on “ordinary” people for breaking the rules but failed in their duty when it came to “important” people need to be called to account too.
These lockdown breaches illustrates beyond doubt that the law is not even handed and many people in prominent positions believe themselves to be above it anyway.
When Starmer held his press conference it’s reported only 3 tame journos were allowed in, and the rest of the press lobby were locked out. The three allowed were asked to submit their questions beforehand so Starmer would have ready made answers and no surprises. Corbyn couldn’t have demanded that, nor would he. And let’s face it, the press & PLP plotters would have made it a huge issue out of it and journos refused had Corbyn’s LOTO team even tried.
https://twitter.com/MrHarryCole/status/1523686180998770688/photo/1
Starmer’s really elusive and unaccountable, he’d run a mile from A Skwawkbox, Novara media or Owen Jones interview. He looked outraged with Andrew Marr for mentioning his 10 pledges on two occasions. Like a guilty man afraid to face his accusers, he’s an atrocious leader.
Smartboy – On the contrary, Keir is not making excuses for breaking the rules he is categorically stating that he did not break the rules. There is a very clear difference.
The problem I have with Starmer’s position is his constant claims that it was not a social event, and that is why he is in the clear.
That is not what the law said. Lockdown was in force. There was an exception for campaigning. But the guidance on that exception expressly said that meetings to plan and organise campaigns should be remote – guidance which also destroys any potential argument, if he tried using the work exemption, that this meeting was “reasonably necessary” for work.
And the fact that Starmer’s evidence that he was still working after the curry is some WhatsApp messages proves conclusively that it COULD have been done remotely. So it clearly breached the campaigning exception and could not be said to be reasonably necessary under the work exemption.
So just what is going on that Starmer is focusing on “it wasn’t socialising”? He must know that the law was much broader than just that.
One thought too on the point that Durham police are unlikely to issue a fine: if they say he was in breach but do not issue a fine, and he tries to cling on, it will be the ultimate snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. His pretence of integrity, which sadly seems to have fooled a lot of people for now, would be in tatters.
Ultraviolet – You are of course entitled to your opinion.
By the way, as I am sure you are aware, in legal circles, an “opinion” isn’t just “what I think”. It is a cogent and fully argued explanation of the relevant law, and how it applies to the current facts.
Ultraviolet – Really, are you the exception that proves the rule?
So thats two knights of the realm and a Barroness it gets more like a fairy story everyday with this labour party….anyone for a charming Prince?
What’s Andrew done now? Give him a break he’s down to a couple of houses, some dosh and memories of past associates. Toffs and elites need our love, understanding and largesse, not fines and possible humiliation. Bang them all up starting with Ferguson.
Andrews been banned from the balcony along with the baggage from the colony.I actually feel sorry for Harry and meegan who are clearly being humiliated for pointing out the racism of Her bloody High..ness and all the Royal,parasites and molesters….wobbly youve managed to raise my blood pressure .
Evans and Starmer were quick enough to use the “rules” to prevent CLPs from meeting, even to the extent of doing without AGMs. And they broke every rule in the book by closing down debates that might have led to questioning their Stalinism without victory assaults in democracy.
Meanwhile everybody has forgotten the truly dreadful Local Election results for Starmer’s Lamentable Labour Party…..
Oh well, here comes disaster at the General Election.
You are being overly pessimistic, Labour is now consistently ahead in the polls instead of being consistently behind and the LA election results are nowhere as near as bad as they were in 2019
In 2019 Labour lost 84 Council seats and lost the control of 6 Local Authorities
whereas
in 2022 Labour gained 108 Council seats and also gained the control of another 5 Local Authorities
I really worry about the sanity of anyone wanting a Labour government who can look at last week’s results and feel anything other than despair. How is it possible to make so little progress against such a terrible Government? Only
Wales, offering genuine left wing policies, was legitimate good news.
Ultraviolet – Did you express the same level of concern following the abysmal results in 2019 when Labour lost 84 Local Authority seats instead of gaining 108 like we did this year.
baz -“Oh well, here comes disaster at the General Election.”
Which potential disaster were you anticipating, a Johnson government or a Starmer government?
………. or a hung parliament?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/12/scale-of-police-spying-on-uk-leftist-party-was-orwellian-inquiry-hears
This is a staggering level of interference in democracy. If suggested here, you’d have had people labelling the site ‘Crankbox ‘ as Paul Mason recently did i.e. conspiratorial.
But given the state of UK politics and the seemingly deliberate lack of choice, who when reading the piece in the link above, could believe it’s happened by accident.