Keir Starmer accused Boris Johnson of “presiding over widespread criminality” as the latest batch of Partygate fines was issued.
Fixed penalty notices had been issued over a leaving do for the civil servant who led the Government’s Covid-19 task force Kate Josephs, it emerged.
Downing Street is braced for a drip, drip of fines as the Met Police probe continues. Yet No10 has refused to accept offences were committed.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror as he travelled to South Wales for Labour 's local elections launch, former Director of Public Prosecutions Mr Starmer launched a fresh, blistering attack on the PM.
“Despite what he said to the public and to Parliament, he presided over widespread criminality in his own home and his own office,” said the Labour leader.
“It’s a serious allegation and it’s unfortunately true of our Prime Minister.”
With local council elections looming on May 5, Labour is expected to gain from ongoing public anger at the Partygate scandal, first uncovered by the Mirror.
“The drip, drip reflects the number of parties there were in the Prime Minister’s home and in the Prime Minister’s office,” he said.
Cabinet allies have tried to switch blame onto civil servants and aides who, the PM’s supporters claim, “misled” Mr Johnson over bases which took place.
Mr Starmer was scathing of the attempt to divert responsibility.
He said: “I’m afraid I’ve got absolutely no truck with the latest defence - and it is the latest defence - because remember the first defence was, ‘There was no parties’.
"The second defence was, ‘There are parties but nobody told me about them’.
"The third defence was, ‘I was at the parties but I didn’t realise as I was wading through the bottles that I was at a party.
"The fourth defence now seems to be, ‘Oh my officials lied to me’.
“I don’t buy it, the public won’t buy it, it’s obvious nonsense.”
He also rubbished claims by Cabinet Minister Simon Hart that the world had “moved on” from Partygate.
“You don’t move on from honesty and integrity, and the country hasn't moved on from honesty and integrity, and therefore this Tory attempt to say, ‘nothing to see here’ is a pathetic distraction,” he said.
“This suggestion that we just walk past it is so obviously wrong.”
The latest batch of fines issued related to officials who attended a farewell event for Kate Josephs, who was director-general of the Cabinet Office's Covid-19 taskforce, the Telegraph reported.
The drinks event was held in the Cabinet Office on December 17, 2020 - when London was under Tier 3 restrictions, banning indoor socialising.
So far 20 fines have been issued following Scotland Yard's investigation into alleged lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Ms Josephs, who is on discretionary leave from her role as chief executive of Sheffield City Council, has not commented.
But in January, after news of the gathering emerged, she said she was "truly sorry" about the event.
"On the evening of December 17, I gathered with colleagues that were at work that day, with drinks, in our office in the Cabinet Office, to mark my leaving the Civil Service,” she said.
"I am truly sorry that I did this and for the anger that people will feel as a result."
Sheffield City Council brought in an independent investigator and a cross-party committee is examining the findings.
A council spokesman said: "The committee will need to meet again once they have had time to properly consider the contents of the investigator's report.
"Until then, the committee needs to focus on its work."
Ms Josephs is under no obligation to tell the council if she has been fined.
The Metropolitan Police will not identify those punished, though Downing Street has said it will confirm if either Boris Johnson or Cabinet Secretary Simon Case are handed a fine.
The reports about fines over Ms Josephs' leaving do emerged after a former senior official became the first person to confirm they had received an FPN as a result of the Partygate probe.
Former Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Whitehall ethics chief Helen MacNamara said she was "sorry for the error of judgement I have shown".
She was reported to have received the fine in connection with a leaving do held in the Cabinet Office on June 18, 2020.
Ms MacNamara, who now works for the Premier League, said: "I am sorry for the error of judgement I have shown. I have accepted and paid the fixed penalty notice."
Local elections
Both parties face a big electoral test next month as voters across the country go to the polls.
The Labour leader, who this week celebrated his second anniversary in the post, admitted the party needed to "earn every vote" on May 5.
He joined Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford to kick off the local elections drive in Bridgend - a UK parliamentary constituency which switched from Labour to the Tories at the 2019 general election.
Pointing to recent surveys showing Labour has a narrow lead over the Tories, Mr Starmer said: “We have made really significant progress.
“When I took over we were -26 in the polls, we are now just about +2%. It’s a huge turnaround.”
He added: “Obviously going into these elections we want to build on that. We have got a really positive campaign.”
With the Conservatives tipped to lose hundreds of council seats, Mr Starmer admitted the results would be a test of how far his party has come under his leadership.
“Every set of elections is a big test but I’m absolutely focused on the general election - my task is to turn Labour’s fortunes around,” he said.
In the equivalent elections in 2018 when the seats were last contested, the Tories lost 79 and Labour gained 35.
Wales
Mr Starmer joined Welsh Labour’s leader Mark Drakeford to kick off the party’s local election drive in Bridgend - a UK parliamentary constituency which switched from Labour to the Tories at the 2019 general election.
Labour needs to win back the seat at the next election, due in 2024, if Mr Starmer is to have any hope of becoming Prime Minister.
But Mr Starmer dismissed fears that a Tory Government in Westminster and a Labour administration in Cardiff Bay bolstered the case for independence.
He said: “It fuels the case for devolution.”
Addressing 100 activists, MPs and Welsh Senedd Members at Bridgend College, he told them: “In Wales we can do something which is so important for Labour, which is show that Labour works, Labour makes a difference.”
First Minister Mr Drakeford spoke of the “jigsaw” of the Labour-run Senedd working with Labour-run Welsh councils.
He said propelling Mr Starmer to No10 was that “fundamental other part of the jigsaw that really will deliver the comprehensive set of policies that we know people in Wales have been looking for year after year - a Labour Government in Westminster to work with a Labour Government in Wales and Labour councils and councillors”.
Cost of living
“Out of touch” millionaire Rishi Sunak is too loaded to understand families’ cost-of-living struggles, Mr Starmer indicated.
The Chancellor has faced mounting criticism that he failed to do enough to help hard-up families in his Spring Statement mini-Budget.
Asked if Mr Sunak was “too rich to understand what ordinary people are going through”, the Labour leader said: “I don’t think he does understand.
“When you stand at the forecourt filling up somebody else’s car, when you are unable to empathise with the difficulties people are going through, when you stand up at the Spring Statement and do next to nothing for those that are struggling, then you’re so out of touch that you just don’t get it.”
Former banker Mr Sunak, a millionaire, is married to the daughter of an Indian billionaire and one of the world’s richest men.
In a photo stunt after the Spring Statement, he pumped petrol into a Sainsbury worker’s Kia Rio and was later mocked for apparently trying to pay for a can of Coke by scanning his contactless card on the barcode reader.
Asked if the cost-of-living crisis was personally affecting him and his family, Mr Starmer: “Our bills have gone up just like everybody else’s but I’m not focused on myself, I’m focused on people who are really struggling.”
Energy crisis
Mr Starmer blasted the Conservatives for failing to prepare Britain for an energy crisis.
Speaking as No10 prepares to unveil its Energy Security Strategy, Mr Starmer said: “We have to remind ourselves this government has been in power for 12 years, so that’s 12 years of a failure to have an energy strategy - that’s shocking.
“It’s absolutely classic of (Boris) Johnson and his Government, which is everything done in the heat of the moment when it’s just too late instead of planning in advance.
“We should have turbo-charged on renewables years ago, we should have gone much faster on nuclear years ago, and we should have gone down the route of warmer, insulated housing years ago.”
Mr Johnson is expected to announce plans for up to seven new nuclear power stations and a huge expansion of offshore wind.
But the Prime Minister could duck supporting new onshore wind developments, fearing a rebellion from backbench Tories.
Mr Starmer signalled Labour in Downing Street could overrule local objections to onshore wind farms as it tried to bolster electricity supplies.
Admitting concerns would have “to be worked through in terms of local consultation, of course”, he said he wanted to “fast forward on renewables - that means wind farms, offshore and onshore”, as well as solar tidal and hydrogen power.
Ukraine
Sending tanks to Ukraine should be a decision for all of NATO, Mr Starmer warned.
Alliance leaders are thought to be divided over handing Kyiv tanks to fight Russian invaders.
Foreign ministers from the coalition are due to hold talks today(WEDS) at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky has demanded warplanes and tanks for his forces to repel Russian troops.
The Labour leader swerved saying whether he would push for tanks and fighter jets to be deployed if he was Prime Minister.
He said: “We have supported the provision of military equipment into Ukraine by our own government and by others.
“When it comes to aircraft and tanks, this has to be a NATO-wide decision on what is provided and how.”
He branded images which emerged from Bucha of bound and shot civilians being left to rot in the streets “horrific and harrowing” and “clear evidence of war crimes”.
He added: “It’s critically important that anybody who is responsible In any way for those deaths is held to account through the International Criminal Court.
“They need to know they will be hunted down.”
Football
Keir Starmer spoke to the Mirror less than 12 hours after watching his beloved Arsenal get thrashed 3-0 by Crystal Palace.
The Labour leader attended the match at Selhurst Park with his son.
Asked if the Gunners could still seize fourth place in the Premiership and qualify for the Champions League, he said it was “the toughest question of the morning”.
He added: “We are in the driving seat, we’ve just got to turn around the result from last night.
“We were awful, Palace were really good - they were pressing from the get-go.
“Arsenal need to significantly up their game, but I’m hopeful - every time we have had a bad defeat we have turned it round, so if we can do that for the last few games of the season we’ve got that fourth slot.”
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira is now the Eagles manager - potentially softening the blow for Gunner fans.
“We’ve all got a soft spot for Patrick Vieira,” said Mr Starmer.
