Did Jeremy Corbyn break Tier 4 lockdown rules? Former Labour leader meets more than one person when he shakes hands with his Covid-denying brother and friend on Christmas Day
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of breaking Tier 4 lockdown rules after meeting three people, including his brother, on his doorstep on Christmas Day.
Without wearing a mask or maintaining social distancing, Corbyn shakes the hand of his Covid-denying brother Piers, 73, and a man dressed as Santa while a third man films the encounter.
Tier 4 restrictions mean no household mixing is allowed, though one person can meet one other person outside in a public space.
Piers Corbyn and a man dressed as Santa head to his brother Jeremy's house on Christmas Day to deliver gifts. The group of four is been accused of flouting Tier 4 restrictions by meeting up
The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn shakes the hands of the three men including his Covid-denying brother Piers , Santa and the cameraman who identifies as Heiko Khoo
None of the group are wearing masks and all appear to be closer than the required 2 metres
'Stay at home': What are the Tier 4 rules?
If you live in Tier 4 you must not leave or be outside of your home or garden except where you have a ‘reasonable excuse’.
These reasonable excuses include work, volunteering and childcare.
They also include exercise and 'essential activities' such as food shopping or collecting medication.
The rules state that you must not meet others to socialise but can meet outdoors to exercise with the people you live with or one other person.
The rules go on to state that if you do meet with another person, you must minimise the time spent with them and you must maintain social distancing.
Nobody can enter or leave Tier 4 areas and residents must not stay overnight away from home.
In addition, people are instructed to stay at home with a limited list of exceptions that include work, education and childcare.
The group talks about food banks before they discuss whether Covid is being used 'as a cover to privatise the NHS' with Corbyn adding: 'What we've got is Covid billionaires - the equivalent to wartime millionaires.'
They complain about 'Big Pharma' turning the NHS into a 'milking cow' before Jeremy thanks Santa for coming and shakes the hands of all three men before sending them on their way.
The two gifts brought by 'Santa' and delivered to Jeremy by the group include the domain name of LabourParty.org and a letter which addresses his suspension from the Labour Party over his response to the anti-Semitism report.
The video of the encounter was shared on social media, prompting some users to accuse Corbyn of breaching the regulations.
One constituent tweeted: 'This is my local MP flouting Tier 4 rules because he thinks he's above them.
'This is three households mixing, no social distancing, no masks. I wonder if this was before or after he visited the local hospital.'
Others suggested the authorities needed to get involved while some sympathised with Jeremy for being door-stepped by his brother.
Pictured: Jeremy and his brother Piers discuss food banks in the area, his aims for 2021 and then go on to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and claim it is a cover to privatise the NHS
Piers Corbyn reads out a letter he is delivering to Jeremy which addresses his suspension from the Labour Party over his response to the party's anti-Semitism report earlier this year
One Twitter user said: 'I’ve got to see if this was my brother I’d be a bit cross at him turning up and videoing me to make crank points.'
Another suggested Corbyn was simply being 'awkwardly polite' after being door-stepped by his Covid-denying brother Piers who also brags in the video about being arrested seven times at anti-lockdown demonstrations.
It comes after millions had to make the most of a Christmas Day under Tier 4 restrictions in London and the south east with many being forced to cancel festive plans with family and friends under tougher 'stay at home' restrictions.
The latest incident comes after Jeremy Corbyn was forced to apologise in October for attending a dinner party of nine when restrictions were in place.
A representative for Mr Corbyn has been approached for comment by MailOnline.