Inside Politics: ‘I’m different’

Labour leader says he’ll quit if fined over ‘Beergate’ as government sets out legislative agenda in Queen’s Speech, writes Matt Mathers

(PA)

Keir Starmer does not look like a betting man. But yesterday the Labour leader took a huge gamble by offering to resign if he receives a fine over ‘Beergate’. His fate is now in the hands of Durham Police, which came under huge pressure to reinvestigate the miner hall gathering in April last year. Today, all eyes are on the Queen’s Speech as the government sets out its legislative agenda for the next parliament.

Inside the bubble

The main event is the state opening of parliament, at 11.30am, followed by the Queen’s speech. The House of Commons then meets at 2.30pm. This starts with jolly speeches from two backbenchers, “one a relative newcomer and the other a long-serving MP”, who propose and second the “loyal address” to the Queen. Then Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson speak, beginning six days of debate on the government’s legislative programme – so no Prime Minister’s Questions tomorrow.

Daily Briefing

Last orders

Keir Starmer has offered to resign if he’s fined by Durham Police over ‘Beergate’. While the move was undoubtedly a huge gamble, the Labour leader, who has pitched himself to the electorate as the candidate of integrity and honour, was ultimately left with no choice, having relentlessly gone after Boris Johnson on Partygate and “sleaze” in government more broadly. The move by Starmer and his team was good politics: his offer to walk put the onus back on Boris Johnson, who faces the prospect of further fines now the local elections are finished and the Met Police and Sue Gray are free to get on with their respective investigations.

Starmer’s promise to quit if he’s sanctioned was an attempt by Labour to regain the moral high ground on alleged Covid lawbreaking, setting out a clear dividing line between himself and the prime minister if he escapes without a penalty. We saw that in Starmer’s statement to the press yesterday and reflected in some of today’s front pages. “We [politicians] are not all the same,” he told reporters. “I am different”. The Daily Mirror this morning splashes on an image of Starmer with the words: “This is what honour looks like, Mr Johnson”. The leader’s fate is now in the hands of Durham Police.

Labour remains bullish that Starmer won’t get fined and last night said it would present a dossier of evidence to the force showing that staff went back to work after the gathering at Durham Miners Hall.

Queen’s Speech

What will be in the Queen’s Speech? What we do know for sure is that the Monarch herself won’t be involved, after the palace confirmed last night that she wouldn’t take part due to “episodic mobility problems”. The baton has been passed on to her sons, the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge, to oversee the state opening of parliament. The government’s legislative agenda for the next session of parliament, which contains a meaty 38 bills, will focus on tackling the cost of living crisis, ‘levelling up’ and Brexit ‘freedoms’. As last week’s local elections underlined, the cost of living crisis is the number one concern among voters and will be at the top of the PM’s priority list.

But out on the broadcast round earlier, Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, appeared to play down the prospect of rapid help for Britons already facing sky-high energy bills and another price cap rise in the autumn. “As far as the cost of living crisis is concerned, it is incredibly challenging for people out there at the moment. Obviously, legislation takes some time to put in place, it has to go through both Houses, it can often be many months, sometimes over a year, before it hits the statute book,” he told Sky News. “I do know the prime minister and chancellor are in constant conversation about how we can be agile in assisting people through this challenging time.”

The government has also been forced to draw up a new bill to bring in “draconian” protest laws backed by Priti Patel, the home secretary, following a humiliating defeat in the House of Lords. The Queen’s Speech will include plans for the introduction of criminal offences targeting “locking on” and allowing police to stop and search peaceful protesters. Ministers attempted to enact some of the proposals previously through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

On the record

“I am absolutely clear that no laws were broken. They were followed at all times. I simply had something to eat while working late in the evening, as any politician would do days before an election. But if the police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice, I would of course do the right thing and step down.”

Starmer says he’ll quit if fined.

From the Twitterati

“Sounds like Starmer would cling on if found by police to have broken rules, but not fined. Asked for clarification about that scenario, he told @BethRigby: ‘The penalty for a Covid breach is a FPN. That’s a matter of law. I’ve set out what the position is in relation to that’”.

Times Radio chief politics commentator Lucy Fisher reckons Starmer will remain if he escapes fine.

Essential reading

• Andrew Grice, The Independent: Starmer’s promise to resign over a Beergate fine is a huge gamble
• Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Who could replace Starmer if he resigns?
• William Hague, The Times: My fantasy Queen’s Speech to boost Britain
• Tom McTague, The Atlantic: ‘We’re not going to make that mistake again’

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