Sir Keir Starmer's voice coach is reported to have travelled more than 50 miles across lockdown tiers to meet him whilst strict Stay at Home orders were in place, raising fresh questions about potential Covid rule breaches.
Leonie Mellinger, an actress and communications coach, made the journey from Brighton to London on Christmas Eve 2020 when the capital was under Tier 4 restrictions.
The Prime Minister continues to deny any wrongdoing, stating "of course not" when questioned about potential rule breaches during a Nato press conference in Brussels.
According to social media posts seen by The Sun, Mellinger documented her journey home on a deserted train, posting "#ChristmasEve #GoingHome" at 6pm that evening.
Leonie Mellinger was bought into Downing Street
Getty/PA
Brighton, where she is understood to reside, was under less stringent Tier 3 restrictions at the time, while London faced the strictest Tier 4 measures.
The rules explicitly stated that workers must stay at home and not cross tier boundaries without legal exemption.
Her website features a testimonial from Starmer stating: "Thanks for all your help and support along the way which made all this possible."
According to a new book titled "Get In" by journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund, Starmer's advisers claimed Mellinger had "permission to travel as a key worker". The book reveals she was brought to Labour headquarters to help the then-Opposition leader with his response to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.
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Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a press conference at NATO headquarters
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Despite previously coaching Starmer remotely via video calls during the pandemic, including for his Labour leadership acceptance speech in April 2020, this meeting was conducted in person. Neither Downing Street nor Mellinger have explained how her work qualified for key worker status.
At the Nato press conference, Starmer made a hasty exit amid questions from journalists, muttering "all the rules were followed" as he left. Conservative MP Richard Holden has written to the Prime Minister demanding answers about the voice coaching sessions.
"I don't think... acting classes were essential," Holden told GB News.
"We didn't either, as a country, because we basically stopped those in-person university courses."
The former minister has called for Starmer to appoint an independent investigator, accusing him of having "a casual disregard for the law" during the pandemic. A Labour spokesman maintained: "The rules were followed at all times."
Former Conservative Party Chairman Richard Holden
PADuring Tier 4 restrictions in London, workers were told that "everyone must work from home unless they are unable to do so".
Christmas had effectively been cancelled for millions of Britons, who were told they could no longer mix with other households.
Former Labour MP Stephen Pound defended the Prime Minister, telling GB News: "Look, Keir Starmer said without any equivocation that if the police found him guilty and he received an official caution he would resign."
Mellinger has not responded to requests from journalists for comment.
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