Keir Starmer kicked out of Bath pub by furious landlord

19 April 2021, 14:17 | Updated: 20 April 2021, 08:42

Keir Starmer responds to pub landlord who kicked him out

By Ewan Quayle

@EQjourno

Sir Keir Starmer has been kicked out of a pub by a furious landlord during a walkabout in Bath.

A video online shows the Labour leader in an altercation with Rod Humphris, who shouted "that man is not allowed in my pub" and demanded he "get out of my pub".

Sir Keir, wearing a black face mask, walked out of the door, shortly after what appeared to be a scuffle between the landlord and a Labour staff member.

After confronting him about lockdown, the landlord appeared to be held back by security guards during the incident with Sir Keir Starmer.

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On why he kicked the Labour leader out of the pub, the 54-year-old told the PA news agency: "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?

"Why have we just accepted lockdown? Why have we just accepted the loss of all our freedoms?"

Labour leader kicked out of Bath pub by landlord

Mr Humphris, who said he disagrees with lockdowns, said: "He walked into my pub without asking and I threw him out. Or at least, I did my best to throw him out - his security got in the way."

He said he gave Sir Keir a "piece of my mind", adding: "I would say this to any politician - it's not a partisan matter."

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Shortly after the incident, the Labour leader told LBC he thinks "most of the country would profoundly disagree" with the landlord on his views on lockdowns.

"He didn't believe there should be restrictions and he queried to some extent whether there was a pandemic at all.

"Now obviously he's entitled to that view but I'm afraid I disagree."

He added: "Nobody on one level wants a lockdown but it was necessary to get the virus back under control.

"Just after Christmas, we had a situation where our hospitals were nearly overwhelmed, where we had up to a thousand, sometimes over a thousand, people dying a day.

"The idea that we should do nothing about it, that we shouldn't have a lockdown or restrictions, i just think is profoundly wrong."

The Labour Party press office said on Twitter that it would "not be amplifying" the footage of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer being confronted by the landlord.

A statement said: "A clip circulating online shows Keir Starmer being confronted by someone spreading dangerous misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We will not be amplifying it.

"Keir argued that our NHS staff have been working tirelessly to protect public health and that restrictions - while painful - have been absolutely necessary to save lives."

A statement from the Raven pub later clarified: "There was no intention by The Raven to hijack Keir Starmer's visit to Bath.

"Rod's opinion is his own."