The Labour party leader, Keir Starmer, will miss Monday’s crucial Brexit debate in the House of Commons because he is self-isolating while a member of his household awaits the result of a Covid-19 test. MPs are set to debate the government’s internal market bill, which includes clauses ministers have conceded would break international law if enacted. But a Labour spokesperson said Starmer would not be participating in the debate. “This morning Keir Starmer was advised to self-isolate after a member of his household showed possible symptoms of the coronavirus. The member of his household has now had a test. In line with NHS guidelines, Keir will self-isolate while awaiting the results of the test and further advice from medical professionals,” the spokesperson said.
It is understood Starmer has not experienced any coronavirus symptoms. Labour said he received the news just after leaving the LBC studio, where he took part in a phone-in. If the test is positive, the Labour leader’s period of isolation would be likely to extend into Connected, the event replacing this year’s party conference that is scheduled to be held largely online. Starmer had been expected to make a speech at a public venue during the event. It is unclear which member of Starmer’s household has been experiencing symptoms; but he has two school-age children.
Labour later said the shadow business secretary, Ed Miliband, would stand in for Starmer at Monday’s afternoon’s debate. Starmer has toed a careful line on Brexit since becoming Labour leader, insisting last December’s general election result meant the issue was resolved, and urging the government to focus on tackling the pandemic. He told LBC on Monday morning that “the vast majority of the population” would say to Boris Johnson: “get on with it.” The test on a member of Starmer’s household comes as a new “rule of six” comes into force in an effort to limit the size of social gatherings and prevent Covid-19 infections from running out of control. Official figures have shown a rapid increase in new cases in the UK, to more than 3,000 a day. Starmer challenged Johnson last week at prime minister’s questions about the availability of tests, with widespread reports suggesting they are difficult to obtain, and many patients are being sent on long journeys to testing centres. • This article was amended on 15 September 2020 to make it clear that is not Keir Starmer who had the Covid-19 test, but a member of his household.