Keir Starmer commits to doing the ‘right thing’ and resign if fined by police

The former Director of Public Prosecutions has said that “not all politicians are the same”. It comes after the Prime Minister has not stepped down having been fined for breaking rules.

He is currently being investigated by Durham Constabulary having been pictured drinking a beer with colleagues in April last year during the local elections campaign when there were still some socialising rules in place.

Those gathered also shared a takeaway curry, late on April 30 last year.

Speaking at party headquarters in London, the Labour leader said that he did not believe that the rules had been broken.

But he added: “I believe in honour, integrity and the principle that those who make the rules must follow them.”

He added: “If the police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice, I would of course step down.”

He went on: “This matters. It matters because the British public deserve politicians who think the rules apply to them.

“They deserve politicians who hold themselves to the highest standards. And they deserve politicians who put the country first rather than themselves. They will always, always get that from me.”

Labour Deputy leader Angela Rayner, who was also present at the event, has said that she will also step down if fined.

In a statement this afternoon, she said: "I’ve always been clear that I was at the event in Durham working in my capacity as Deputy Leader and that no rules were broken. Eating during a long day’s work was not against the rules.

We have a Prime Minister who has been found to have broken the rules, lied about it and then been fined. If I were issued with a fine, I would do the decent thing and step down."