Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner cleared by Durham police of breaking lockdown rules

Labour leader will stay in post after pledging to resign if fined for having a beer and takeaway curry with staff

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Keir Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner, have been cleared by Durham constabulary of breaching lockdown rules over a beer and takeaway curry they had with staff during election campaigning last year, with officers concluding it was a legitimate work event.

In a relief for Labour, the much-anticipated police announcement said an investigation had concluded that the gathering in April 2021 was reasonably necessary for work purposes, and that no fixed-penalty notices had been issued over it.