Police Secretary Keith Malthaus said that if Keir Starmer resigned over an alleged breach of blocking rules, it did not automatically mean the prime minister should do the same.
In a statement Monday, the Labor leader said he would do the “right thing” if he was issued a notice of a fixed sanction for a gathering at labor offices in Durham last April.
The move is seen as a huge gamble, with Starmer putting his future in the hands of Durham police after it was announced last week that officers would reopen an investigation into an event in which he drank beer and ate curry at home.
However, Labor sources said they were confident they could prove it was a business event and that those present took a meal break while working late in preparing for the Hartlepool primary.
The Guardian has revealed that Labor has compiled diaries with time stamps of chats, documents and video edits on WhatsApp – which it will provide to Durham police for their investigation.
Asked by LBC if Johnson should follow suit if the Labor leader is punished and resigns, Malthaus, a longtime ally of Boris Johnson, said: “Not necessarily, no.”
He told LBC: “Obviously in every situation where, you know, the rules have moved, there have been misunderstandings or mistakes, and apologies are made and accepted, then people from all walks of life should be able to keep their jobs. places. But Keir Starmer has to talk about himself and set his own standards.
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Critics of Starmer have suggested that he is trying to put pressure on Durham police, as the forces would not want to be seen as ending his term as Labor leader.
Malthaus told Sky News that police would meet “high standards” despite alleged pressure. “The police in Durham will work professionally according to the high standards we expect from them, regardless of the external events surrounding this case,” he said. “We have to give them space and time to do their job.
Keith Malthaus: “We have to go [Durham police] space and time to do their job. Photo: Wiktor Szymanowicz / REX / Shutterstock
Lord Ken MacDonald, a former director of the prosecution like Starmer, said the suggestion that Durham police would be pressured into their investigation was “widely useful”.
The specialist said on BBC Radio 4’s “Today”: consciousness: “this is my case and I will solve it, thank you very much, without any help from you”.
In a statement to Mondah, Starmer said repeatedly that the rules had not been violated, as he tried to oppose his actions with those of Johnson, who refused to give up after being notified of a fixed sentence by Sofia police. to gather at № 10 in June 2020 to celebrate his 56th birthday.
But after urging Johnson to go break the law, many in Westminster believed that Starmer would have no choice but to fall on his sword if he was found to have done it himself.
Deputy Labor leader Angela Raynor, who also attended the Durham event, said she would also resign if she was issued a penalty notice.
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