Reform UK's Rupert Lowe blasts Keir Starmer over lockdown breach claim as PM branded ‘more left-wing than Corbyn’

"He broke the rules that other people had to follow," Lowe said. "I think this is a disgrace, frankly. How he squares that circle, I don't know."

Labour MP Barry Gardiner defended the Prime Minister, arguing that as Leader of the Opposition at the time, Starmer had legitimate reasons for the meetings.

"If you were at work and working in a socially distanced way, it was perfectly legitimate," Gardiner told GB News.

"This is the case of a politician's staff coming into Parliament and doing work," he added, insisting that public presentation was "an essential part" of the job.

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The controversy erupted after revelations that Starmer designated a voice coach as a 'key worker' during strict Tier 4 Covid restrictions in December 2020.

The claims, made in a new book serialised in The Times, have prompted Conservative demands for an independent investigation.

The Prime Minister's spokesman today repeatedly refused to answer questions about the alleged breach, insisting he wouldn't "get into any matter to do with the opposition".

According to the book 'Get In', Starmer met with communications coach Leonie Mellinger at Labour headquarters during London's strict Tier 4 'Stay at Home' restrictions.

The meeting reportedly took place on Christmas Eve 2020, when government guidelines required non-essential workers to work from home.

The official list of key workers at the time covered frontline staff in health, social care and transport, with no mention of voice coaches.

At today's morning briefing, the Prime Minister's spokesman stonewalled all questions about the controversy.

Asked whether Starmer considered his voice coach a key worker, the spokesman replied: "I'm not going to get into any matter to do with the opposition, the Prime Minister is focussed on delivering the government's priorities."

The spokesman did confirm that Starmer is no longer using the services of former actress Leonie Mellinger or any other voice coach.

The controversy comes amid wider political challenges for Starmer's government, with polling expert John Curtice describing Labour's declining support as "remarkable".

Speaking to GB News, Curtice compared the situation to Labour's 1979 electoral defeat, noting: "I still think that this Government has lost support more quickly and heavily than any previous government."

The latest scandal follows a turbulent first six months for the PM, including controversies over winter fuel allowance cuts and inheritance tax changes.