I think this is the most important part from this article:
​
>**Did Starmer breach any rules?**
>
>While Covid rules necessarily involve some interpretation, on the basis of what is known publicly so far, the legal and police consensus appears to be not. Political campaigning was permitted ahead of the local elections, which took place on the same day as the byelection, allowing gatherings of party activists. Starmer has said the images show campaigners breaking for takeaway food, and that with pubs and restaurants shut this was the only option if they were going to eat.
>
>The barrister and Covid rules expert Adam Wagner has said this would be similar to colleagues eating in a work canteen and would thus be viewed as “reasonably necessary for work”. Wagner contrasted it with seemingly prearranged social events at Downing Street for which Boris Johnson and others have been fined.
>
>However, this could change, depending on what new information has been passed to police.
Based on what we know, no rules were broken. It wasn’t a prearranged social event, but rather a break to eat food, which is what people up and down the country did for meals whilst working.
Why are so many MPs drinking at work?
The whole point is to get people saying ‘they are just as bad as each other’.
When even *if* rules were broken, the level to which they were and what was actually involved in the the whole thing are so far from incomparable as can be…
3 comments
I think this is the most important part from this article:
​
>**Did Starmer breach any rules?**
>
>While Covid rules necessarily involve some interpretation, on the basis of what is known publicly so far, the legal and police consensus appears to be not. Political campaigning was permitted ahead of the local elections, which took place on the same day as the byelection, allowing gatherings of party activists. Starmer has said the images show campaigners breaking for takeaway food, and that with pubs and restaurants shut this was the only option if they were going to eat.
>
>The barrister and Covid rules expert Adam Wagner has said this would be similar to colleagues eating in a work canteen and would thus be viewed as “reasonably necessary for work”. Wagner contrasted it with seemingly prearranged social events at Downing Street for which Boris Johnson and others have been fined.
>
>However, this could change, depending on what new information has been passed to police.
Based on what we know, no rules were broken. It wasn’t a prearranged social event, but rather a break to eat food, which is what people up and down the country did for meals whilst working.
Why are so many MPs drinking at work?
The whole point is to get people saying ‘they are just as bad as each other’.
When even *if* rules were broken, the level to which they were and what was actually involved in the the whole thing are so far from incomparable as can be…
But hey… ‘they are just as bad as each other’….