Today, Labour Leader Keir Starmer was forced to leave a pub in Bath by a landlord accusing him of “failing this country” over his support for lockdown measures in the UK.
“Mr Humphris was held back by a man assumed to be Mr Starmer’s bodyguard”
On his tour of the city, Keir Starmer visited The Raven pub where he was shouted down by its co-owner and landlord, Rod Humphris, who described Starmer as “truthfully incandescent” and failing to “ask the real questions.”
On his entry to The Raven, Keir Starmer faced backlash from the pub’s landlord over his leadership during the pandemic and was forced to leave.
Mr Humphris was held back by a man assumed to be Mr Starmer’s bodyguard as he shouted: “You are not allowed in my pub. That man is not allowed in my pub. Get out of my pub.”
Keir Starmer is told to leave the Raven. The team ducked inside after a confrontation pic.twitter.com/UujAx8gnbd
— Stephen Sumner (@StephenSumner15) April 19, 2021
He continued: “I have been a Labour voter my entire life, you have failed to be the Opposition. Thousands of people have died because you failed to do your job and ask the real questions.”
Keir Starmer openly disagreed with Mr Humphris, however, claiming: “[The] vast majority of people in Bath and elsewhere recognise that lockdown was necessary, that restrictions were necessary, that we need to come slowly and carefully out so that we never go back into lockdown.”
“Starmer attended the pub on a pre-arranged visit with co-owner”
When Mr Humphris was later asked why he acted in such a way he said: “I had heard that the Labour Party were coming round and he turned up and I told him what I thought of him, basically.
“I think he has utterly failed us as the Leader of the Opposition, he has completely failed to ask the questions that needed asking, like, why did we throw away our previous pandemic preparedness?”
Starmer attended the pub on a pre-arranged visit with co-owner, Tim Perry, who has since apologised to Labour for Mr Humphris’ behaviour.
Taking to Twitter after the incident, Keir Starmer tweeted the below link which takes users directly to the government’s page on how to vote.
My statement on being confronted in a pub today:https://t.co/lSmEc4585q
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 19, 2021
Madeleine Raine
Featured image courtesy of Liv Cashman on Unsplash. Image license is available here. No changes were made to this image.
Madeleine Raine
Mads is a 23-year-old History graduate from Newcastle University. She is passionate about current affairs and British news, with a keen interest in investigative features. Aside from this, she is an avid reader, photographer, and yogi.