Beergate: Were students who took Starmer curry photograph at a gathering themselves?

It's understood one of the partygoers once stood to be a Conservative councillor

A source behind Keir Starmer's 'Beergate' photo could have been at a gathering nearby, leaked texts suggest. In text messages seen by PoliticsJOE the source said in reference to the Labour leader's now infamous curry: "It wasn't an online event at all they had a buffet and music and a few san Miguels and it was 11pm [sic]". The text adds "I was at a party in the building next door". While England was emerging from lockdown at the time, strict rules still prohibited almost all indoor socialising. Under these laws, staff were able to meet indoors if doing so was "reasonably necessary for work". But people were not permitted to socialise or participate in buffet-style serving of food and drink - which is the accusation currently levelled at Starmer. Sir Keir has said there was "no party" and he is "confident no rules were broken" after Durham police said they would investigate claims he broke lockdown rules while drinking with colleagues. Now, it seems from leaked text messages that the sources too could potentially have been in breach of covid rules. Another attendee at the alleged student gathering has confirmed to PoliticsJOE that there were more than six people present indoors on the night they spotted Starmer in Durham. It's also understood one of the individuals behind the photograph was running for election as a Conservative councillor at the time. Their campaign promised to right the wrongs of the Labour administration that had "taken the area for granted".

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