Conservative MP Richard Holden has called for an independent investigation into Sir Keir Starmer's conduct during the Covid lockdown, following revelations about the Prime Minister's use of a voice coach during strict Tier 4 restrictions.
Speaking to GB News, Holden said the matter "reignited that entire question" about Starmer's behaviour during the pandemic.
The fresh allegations stem from a new book by Sunday Times journalists, which revealed Starmer had an in-person meeting with voice coach Leonie Mellinger at Labour HQ on Christmas Eve 2020.
Speaking to GB News, Holden explained: "He's been very, very critical of others. Obviously, people will know of the way he responded to Boris Johnson during that period, and he now appears to have had a voice coach into Labour HQ on Christmas Eve.
Richard Holden said that the Prime Minister was "very critical" of others
GB News
"So it's really reignited that entire question. The real issue behind this is that Keir Starmer really did go out there demanding that everybody was held to the highest possible account at every stage.
"Now it looks like there are big questions for him to answer, which is why we want an independent investigator to be appointed."
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"It's quite odd, some of the phrasing in this book from some of those senior Labour officials who were involved at the time.
"They have said that they considered her to be a key worker or thought she was a key worker for him. I mean, we all know that Starmer's got that very strange nasal adenoids issue with his voice.
"So he might have considered it very important, whether or not the country did when they were all locked down I think is the question at the heart of the matter here. "
At the time, London was under stringent "Stay At Home" rules following a rapid rise in coronavirus infections
Keir Starmer reportedly had a voice coaching session on Christmas eve 2020
PAThe Government's official guidance defined critical workers as those essential to public services, including frontline health, social care and transport workers.
Voice coaches were not mentioned in the official list of key worker exemptions to the lockdown rules.
Mellinger had been recruited to work with Starmer on improving his public speaking since 2017, when he was serving in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet.
The Guido Fawkes website first suggested this may have constituted a breach of Covid rules, which required non-essential workers to work from home.
Holden shared a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister on X
GB News
In a strongly-worded letter to the Prime Minister, Holden has demanded answers to six key questions about the incident. The Conservative MP asked in his letter whether the Prime Minister believes he breached the law and if he would appoint an independent investigator to clear up the matter.
He also questioned whether Labour received legal advice about circumventing Covid restrictions and if Mellinger contracted Covid during this period.
"Do you think it would be right for other members of the public to get acting lessons during tier 4 restrictions?" Holden pressed in his letter.
A spokesperson for the Labour Party told the Express: “The rules were followed”.
