Sir Keir Starmer has defended himself against accusations of breaching COVID-19 lockdown rules after it emerged he received acting lessons from a voice coach during the pandemic. The Labour leader claimed the sessions were permissible as the coach was classified as a 'key worker'.
Sir Keir Starmer faced scrutiny today over a face-to-face acting lesson he received during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Labour leader denied breaking lockdown rules , stating that the session with voice coach Leonie Mellinger on Christmas Eve 2020 was permissible as she was a 'key worker'. Mellinger, a classically trained dramatist, reportedly advised Starmer on his public speaking style in response to Boris Johnson 's Brexit deal.
The incident, revealed in a new book serialised in The Sunday Times, sparked controversy as London was under 'Tier 4 restrictions' at the time, with residents adhering to stringent 'Stay At Home' rules. While people could travel for work deemed essential, Tory MPs questioned the propriety of acting lessons during such a stringent lockdown. Richard Holden, a former cabinet minister in the Conservative Party, wrote to Starmer demanding an explanation for the sessions, arguing that acting classes did not fall under essential work. He also highlighted the Labour Party's virtual meetings with Mellinger, suggesting a discrepancy in their stance. A Labour spokesman maintained that the rules were followed. The book, written by journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund, also offers insights into Starmer's leadership style, with Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney reportedly describing him as 'like an HR manager, not a leader'. McSweeney allegedly expressed concerns about Starmer's timidity, yet also acknowledged his intelligence and political acumen. Another unnamed ally likened Starmer to a passenger on the Docklands Light Railway, observing that he was not actively 'driving the train' but rather situated at the front of an automatically driven one
Sir Keir Starmer Lockdown Rules Boris Johnson Acting Lessons Leonie Mellinger Tier 4 Restrictions COVID-19 Pandemic Labour Party Richard Holden The Sunday Times
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