Cabinet Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested that Sir Keira Starmer not resign if he is fined by Durham police for beer and food at home with colleagues during the blockade.
Mr Rees-Mogg – who had previously dismissed the Partygate scandal as “fluff” – said the Labor leader should be left with more important issues.
This is despite attempts by the top Tories to increase pressure on the Beergate saga, with ministers urging Starmer to fix “holes” in his account over curry eaten at a Labor event last April.
Asked by Andrew Neal in his new Channel 4 program whether he thought the Beergate scandal was also “fluff”, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “It must be in the same category of seriousness”.
Asked if he should step down if he is fined, the Tory High Representative said: “I think he has to pay a fine and talk about issues of great importance.
The Brexit Minister for Opportunities added: “The difficulty for Sir Care is that he said before the outcome of the inquiry that the Prime Minister should resign.
Mr Rees-Mog said the Partygate scandal was a “major second tier” and added: “The problem of [Starmer] is one of the assessment. Did he understand Partygate correctly? “This is not the main problem of our time.”
The veteran interviewer joked about the saga at the beginning of the Andrew Neill Show. Seen eating curry with a bottle of beer, Mr Neil said it was “not a party, but a business event”.
Durham police are now investigating allegations that an event attended by Sir Cair and other senior party figures and activists during last year’s campaign may have violated local Covid regulations.
A leaked note in The Mail on Sunday shows that the food for home in Durham was planned as part of Sir Care’s route from 20:40 to 22:00 on the day of the campaign last April.
The only business listed after dinner was Sir Cair to return to his hotel, according to the report. The Labor leader had previously claimed that he had “stopped eating” and continued to work after meals, saying that “the idea that no one works at 10 o’clock at night is absurd”.
A separate source who attended the event told the Sunday Times: “He did not return to work, as far as I know. The same source said some Labor “were just there for fun”.
A spokesman for Starmer’s office said: “Keir was working, there was food in the kitchen for the house and he was eating to meet his work needs. No rules were broken. “
Deputy Prime Minister Dominique Raab accused Sir Cair of “complete hypocrisy” over the saga, telling Sophie Ridge on Sky News on Sunday: in Durham. ”
But Labor chief Lisa Nandi described Sir Cair as “Mr Rules” on Sunday, saying Tory ministers’ attacks on the Beergate saga were “downright absurd and quite desperate”.
This comes as the city’s police are believed to have started issuing more fines to Downing Street employees for gatherings held at government offices during restrictions on blocking Covid.
Scotland Yard is starting to hand out fines for a Christmas party held at number 10 on December 18, 2020, according to The Mirror.
Scotland Yard will not confirm whether fines have yet been imposed for the event – held while London was under strict Level 3 measures – but this is one of 12 events the Operation Hillman team is investigating.
Mr Johnson was forced to address the issue of the December 18 holiday after an explosive video leaked showing staff holding a fake press conference and joking about a Christmas party.
This led to the resignation of government aide Allegra Stratton and the announcement of an investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray.
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