Keir Starmer dramatically pledged to quit if he is fined for breaking lockdown rules as Labour prepared to present police with a dossier of evidence to show his team worked beyond lam on the night he was pictured drinking a beer.
The Guardian can reveal Labour has compiled time-stamped logs of WhatsApp chats, documents and video edits, which it will provide to the investigation by Durham police.
The party claims it proves the curry and beers shared between Starmer's team came as part of a long working day preparing for the Hartlepool byelection, meaning it was permitted under Covid rules at the time.
In a speech yesterday after hours of agonising with his aides, Starmer took the gamble of his career by saying he would resign if police issued him with a fixed-penalty notice for what happened on 30 April last year.
His deputy, Angela Rayner, who was also at Durham Miners Hall, also said she would resign if fined.
Starmer said he was determined to prove he had “different principles to the prime minister”, who has already been issued with a fixed-penalty notice for breaching lockdown rules in Downing Street. He said he was confident he had not broken the rules but would resign if he was fined, saying: "The British public deserve politicians who think the rules apply to them."
Detectives investigating the circumstances of the takeaway curry are considering interviewing the Labour leader face-to-face, the Guardian understands.
Durham's police's investigation is set to extend into at least June and any of the at least 15 people present could face a fine if deemed by detectives to have broken laws.
This story is from the May 10, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 10, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Archer could consider future if stop-start’ pattern persists
Jofra Archer has hinted another year of persistent injury setbacks could lead him to question his future as the fast bowler looks to stage his latest comeback for England in time for this summer's T20 World Cup defence.
Appleby's pick pipped on the line but future remains rosy
He had just seen his filly Dance Sequence, the third-favourite for the 1,000 Guineas, beaten in her Classic trial by the 18-1 outsider Pretty Crystal, but Charlie Appleby was still in a positive frame of mind after the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket yesterday, about Dance Sequence and life in general.
De Bruyne cancels out Rodrygo's opener as epic clash goes to wire
With 72 minutes on the clock, an increasingly fervent Manchester City support announced who they were and promised to fight until the end.
Brasher urges protesters to avoid disrupting 'force for good' event
Race director predicts record fundraising year and reveals tribute to Kelvin Kiptum
Winter wondering Surprise, big-name exit is a sign of football media's fractured evolution
For more than three decades, English football media was a Winter wonderland.
Everton on the brink Questions over club's future as urgent as ever
Everton fans are used to the club's owner, Farhad Moshiri, telling them that better times will be arriving soon. He began his reign in 2016 promising to give fans \"whatever I have\" - the type of soundbite he would continue to deliver during the following eight years.
IMF urges fiscal discipline as elections loom around world
The International Monetary Fund has issued a strong warning to Britain and other countries facing elections this year to avoid voter giveaways that might pose risks to their public finances.
Czech billionaire offered to buy owner of Royal Mail
The owner of Royal Mail received a £3bn takeover offer from a Czech billionaire who has stakes in Sainsbury's and West Ham United football club.
Aung San Suu Kyi has left prison for house arrest, claims junta
Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest, according to the military junta.
Heir to Dutch throne spent year in Madrid over concern for her safety
The heir to the Dutch throne, Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, spent over a year in Spain as the Dutch royal family grappled with threats to her safety, according to media in the Netherlands.