Keir Starmer goes into self-isolation after doing LBC phone-in 

Keir Starmer declared he is going into quarantine today after a member of his household showed coronavirus-type symptoms.

The Labour leader announced he is going into self-isolation hours after taking a phone-in in the LBC radio studios. 

The party has informed the radio station about the situation, but it is not yet clear whether presenter Nick Ferrari or other staff will need to quarantine.

Sir Keir lives with wife Victoria and their son and daughter, thought to be aged 10 and eight respectively, in north London. 

A Labour spokesman said: ‘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.’

Aides said Sir Keir has not shown any signs of the disease himself – although he did cough during the appearance – but will not be speaking in the Commons debate on Brexit later.

Is is understood Victoria works for the NHS, and her trust’s policy to keep staff on duty is that they and their families can go straight to the hospital for a test if they display symptoms. 

Sources insisted the Starmer family had used the NHS rather than a private test, and received ‘no special favours’. 

Sir Keir sat relatively close to presenter Nick Ferrari in the radio studios today before he went into quarantine. 

Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg went into self-isolation last week after one of his six children started showing coronavirus symptoms.

Deputy chief whip Stuart Andrew stood in for Mr Rees-Mogg at business questions on Thursday.  

However, Mr Rees-Mogg has now been given the all clear and is back at work in Parliament. 

During the phone-in, Sir Keir said he supported the Government’s new ‘Rule of Six’ restrictions which came into force today.

He said: ‘I do support the ‘rule of six’.

‘I think you need something simple, easily understood and I think the Government was slow back in February and March to appreciate the problem it was about the face and we can’t repeat that error again, so I do support the ‘rule of six’.

‘We’ve publicly come out in support of it and I will say, as I said to the Prime Minister I would, as the leader of the Opposition I say to everybody, please follow the Government advice, please follow these rules.’

He added: ‘You can make the argument of why not five or why not six or seven – you have to go with a number backed by the science and they say six and I think we should abide by that rule.’

Sir Keir said ministers’ ‘side of the bargain’ was to improve NHS Test and Trace and to ensure more people were self-isolating now that fresh social restrictions had been put in place.