Keir Starmer is under fire this afternoon over suggestions he may have broken Covid lockdown rules in 2020 when working with a voice coach.
A new book about Sir Keir’s time as leader of the opposition has revealed he hired actress and communications skills coach Leonie Mellinger to improve his speeches, and considered her role “so essential that Mellinger even qualified for ‘key worker’ status during the pandemic.”
It adds: “She visited Labour headquarters in a mask on Christmas Eve in 2020, advising Starmer as he considered his response to Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.”
The Guido Fawkes website has suggested this may have been a breach of the Covid rules at the time, which had London in a ‘Tier 4’ lockdown demanding that non-essential workers work from home.
It also highlights how the government’s list of essential workers would not have included a political vocal coach.
The Conservatives have now written to the Prime Minister demanding answers, with shadow paymaster general Richard Holden demanding an independent investigation.
In his letter, Mr Holden cites Sir Keir’s repeated insistence that he followed all Covid rules.
He argues: “This latest revelation proves this not to be the case and you have serious questions to answer.”
“A breach of [the rules] would be a breach of the law. At the time of the Tier 4 restrictions, the sanction at the time for breaching the restrictions was a Fixed Penalty Notice.”
He sets out six questions Sir Keir needs to answer:
- Does the Prime Minister think that this is a breach of the law?
- To clear up any date will you appoint an independent investigator?
- Did the Labour Party receive legal advice about how to get around Covid restrictions?
- In this period did Ms Mellinger contract COVID-19?
- Do you think it would be right for other members of the public to get acting lessons during tier 4 restrictions?
- Did you receive legal advice about making Ms Mellinger a key worker?
Mr Holden concludes: “There is a strong public interest into your conduct during the pandemic, and it is clear from these revelations that not only have you misled the public, but you had a casual disregard for the law at a time. When so many people were making such difficult sacrifices all in the service of advancing your own political career.”
“You have said ‘honesty and decency matters’ – I hope you will treat these questions to you with the same standards you asked of others.”
A Labour Party spokesperson told the Express: “The rules were followed”.
