Fact Check: Video of Keir Starmer Being Thrown Out of a Pub is From 2021, Before He Became UK Prime Minister

New Delhi (Vishvas News): A video of Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer is viral on social media with the claims that he was thrown out of a pub by the owner for supporting Islam.

Vishvas News investigated and found that the video dates back to 2021, well before Keir Starmer became the Prime Minister of the UK.

What Is In The Viral Post?

On August 22, 2024, Facebook user Saravanaprasad Balasubramanian shared a video clip showing a man throwing Keir Starmer out of a pub, saying, “This man is not allowed in my pub”. The post’s caption reads “The Prime Minister of the UK was kicked out of a pub. This is what happens when you prioritise radical Muslims over your citizens and let them take control of your country. The citizens are fed up.”

Investigation

To investigate the viral claim, we searched the screenshots of the video on Google Lens. We found a report published by the news website ‘Independent’ on July 9, 2021, which confirmed that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was thrown out of a pub in Bath by its owner, who opposed the lockdown and blamed Starmer for the UK’s COVID-19 response.

Based on this, we conducted a keyword search and found related news coverage on various YouTube channels in 2021, all indicating that the incident was connected to Starmer’s stance on the COVID-19 response.

Vishvas News also spoke to JP Ranjan, an international affairs journalist for Dainik Jagran, who confirmed that the incident occurred in 2021 when Keir Starmer was not the Prime Minister.

For context, the Labour Party won the UK elections on July 4, 2024, leading to Keir Starmer’s appointment as Prime Minister. More details on this can be found in related news reports.

In the end, we scanned the profile of Facebook user Saravanaprasad Balasubramanian, who posted the misleading video. The user has over 31,000 followers.