Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of hypocrisy for attending a birthday cake celebration in his office during the pandemic.
The Labour leader tucked into the shop-bought chocolate and lemon cakes while coronavirus guidance advised against holding close social gatherings indoors.
Sir Keir has repeatedly demanded Boris Johnson quit for attending an impromptu birthday gathering in the Cabinet Room in June 2020 – just three months before his own celebration.
The PM and Chancellor were hit with fines for breaking lockdown laws that banned indoor gatherings at that time. However, it has now emerged that Sir Keir was given a birthday card and two cakes in his office on his birthday in September 2020.
Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of hypocrisy for attending a birthday cake celebration in his office during the pandemic
While Covid laws on gatherings had been relaxed a month earlier, government guidance at the time stated that people should not ‘hold or attend celebrations (such as parties) where it is difficult to maintain social distancing and avoid close social interaction’.
The Government also said people should not ‘socialise indoors in groups of more than two households’. It was not clear last night how many others helped Sir Keir to eat the cakes in his office.
A Tory source said: ‘It now seems that, as well as sinking a few cold ones with mates at his infamous Durham drinks party, Sir Keir flouted the guidance in place for a little birthday bash… that is of course unless you believe that he popped out to a shop, bought himself a cake and sat alone eating it in his office.
‘We know that Labour have lied about these things in the past so it makes you wonder what else they’re hiding. The stench of hypocrisy gets stronger by the day.’
Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of hypocrisy for attending a birthday cake celebration in his office during the pandemic
Sir Keir claimed the Prime Minister and Chancellor ‘dishonoured their office’ by attending the impromptu birthday celebration on June 19, 2020, the day Mr Johnson turned 56.
Rishi Sunak was in attendance because he had been invited to a crucial meeting about Covid. Mr Johnson was eating a salad.
It was initially believed that the PM had been presented with a Union Jack cake while aides sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him.
However, it has since emerged that the cake – bought by a special adviser – never even left its Tupperware box. Some sausage rolls from Marks and Spencer were laid out on the Cabinet table along with a few cans of Estrella lager, but it is believed that these too were left untouched.
Nevertheless, Sir Keir claimed Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak’s attendance had ‘dishonoured’ the sacrifices made by people during lockdown – as well as their offices.
After the men were fined, Sir Keir said: ‘This is the first time in the history of our country that a Prime Minister has been found to be in breach of the law, and then he lied repeatedly to the public about it. Britain deserves better, they [the PM and the Chancellor] have to go.’
Labour did not respond to a request for comment last night. However, a party source said no laws were broken.
