'Beergate' No More: Police Clear UK Labour Leader Keir Starmer of COVID Lockdown Breach

Sir Keir Starmer was previously accused of breaching coronavirus lockdown rules after he was spotted enjoying a beer gathering with his colleagues.

Durham police will not take any action against UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, as well as Deputy opposition leader Angela Rayner, over the so-called "beergate" scandal, after finding that no coronavirus lockdown rules were broken.

The investigators have concluded that there is "no case to answer for a contravention of the regulations, due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work."

"Accordingly, Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any fixed penalty notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken," the police said, cited by Sky News.

The Labour party has welcomed the decision, noting that Starmer and Rayner have "always been clear that no rules were broken in Durham."

"The police have completed their investigation and have agreed saying that there is no case to answer," a Labour party spokesperson underlined.

Starmer was accused of breaching lockdown rules after a video emerged featuring him and fellow Labour MPs enjoying some beer during the 2021 lockdown at the office of Durham MP Mary Foy.

The incident was quickly dubbed "beergate", with Starmer vowing to resign should he be found guilty of breaching coronavirus rules and issued a fixed penalty notice. He argued that the gathering was not a violation of the lockdown rules, as he and his colleagues had been working, and were only taking a break to eat some food before returning to their duties.