Keir Starmer has rarely before caused a moment of intense drama in national politics. But his televised statement that he would quit if Durham police issue him with a fine for breaching Covid rules was a highly compelling moment, and an unexpected gamble for someone who colleagues sometimes refer to as “cautious Keir”.
It will have serious consequences, whatever the outcome of the investigation. If he is cleared by the police inquiry, he has drawn a moral line in the sand – one which Boris Johnson is on the wrong side of.
