The Labour leader was told “get out of my pub!” by the pub’s landlord in Bath during a campaign visit today
Sir Keir Starmer’s encounter with landlord of The Raven pub, Rod Humphris, began with a heated exchange outside the premises.
“According to the Office for National statistics it’s 82 years and three months,” said Humphris angrily to Starmer.
“The average age of death normally? Eighty one years.
“Do you understand we have f*cked our economy because old people are dying?”
Humphris also produced graphs which apparently showed that there was no difference in overall deaths in the UK versus previous years.
He went on to say: “You have failed to ask whether lockdown was functioning.
“Do you understand?
“Thousands of people have died because you have failed to do your job and ask the real questions.”
Starmer cited his wife’s experience of being a nurse on the frontlines during the pandemic, and how hospitals have been overwhelmed, to rebut the man’s claims.
“They have been on the front line keeping people alive, so I really don’t need lectures from you about this pandemic, thank you.”
After this, Starmer entered the pub – but the situation quickly deteriorated further as Starmer was chased out by a furious Humphris.
He shouted “get out of my pub!” while being restrained by members of Starmer’s staff in dramatic footage snapped by Somerset Live.Â
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
Humphris claimed that he had not given Starmer permission to enter the premises, and that he was unwelcome there, saying the Labour leader had “failed”him, and that he had been a life long Labour voter.
On the reasons for being restrained, Labour sources told Times Radio that Humphris manhandled a female member of Keir’s campaign team which is why he was being restrained.
Labour sources say that, as well as shouting at Starmer, this man also physically manhandled a female member of staff, hence why he was restrained. No apology forthcoming – in fact the pub’s owner has apparently apologised to Labour for the man’s behaviour.
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) April 19, 2021
Labour also say the landlord was “spreading dangerous misinformation about the pandemic.”
Starmer later said: “From what I could understand, he profoundly didn’t believe that we should have had a lockdown, he didn’t believe there should be restrictions, and he queried to some extent, I think, whether there’s a pandemic at all.
“Obviously, he’s entitled to that view – I’m afraid I profoundly disagree, and I think most people across the country would profoundly disagree.”
Humphris’ colleague Tim Perry, who also runs the pub, told reporters “we’re getting death by social media when actually Rod’s the one that held those opinions not me.”
The pub’s Twitter account also tweeted: “Please note. There was no intention by The Raven to hijack Keir Starmer’s visit to Bath.
Please note. There was no intention by The Raven to hijack Keir Starmer’s visit to Bath.
Rod’s opinion is his own.— The Raven (@theravenofbath) April 19, 2021
“Rod’s opinion is his own.”
