Labour leader Keir Starmer tests positive for COVID

Oct 27, 2021

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has tested positive for coronavirus so will miss the opportunity to challenge the government in-person on its budget this afternoon.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, now the shadow COP26 president, stood in for Sir Keir at Prime Minister’s Questions, which took place just before Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces the budget.

Sir Keir will have to self-isolate for 10 days so will also miss the beginning of the COP26 climate change summit, however, it has not been confirmed if he was attending.

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He tested positive for COVID-19 after taking a lateral flow test earlier on Wednesday.

The Labour leader was pictured with shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves and Bridget Phillipson, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, on Wednesday morning but they have both tested negative with a lateral flow test.

Ms Reeves will respond to Mr Sunak’s budget announcement this afternoon.

Sir Keir carries out daily lateral flow tests but this is the first time he has tested positive.

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However, he has had to self-isolate four times previously since the pandemic began, with the last time being in July after one of his children tested positive although he tested negative.

The rules have changed since then for fully vaccinated people so they no longer have to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone who tests positive but must do so if they test positive themselves.

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