Police investigating fire at Keir Starmer’s London home

Counterterrorism police on Monday opened an investigation into a blaze at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s north London home. The fire, which started in the early morning hours of Monday, damaged the entrance but did not hurt anyone, Metropolitan Police told the BBC. About 10 firefighters called to the scene were able to get control of the blaze within roughly 20 minutes, the London Fire Brigade told the outlet.

Neighbors reported hearing a loud bang in the night, according to the Mirror. Starmer is believed to own the scorched home, but is renting it out to someone else while he lives in his official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, the BBC reported.

What was Starmer doing on Monday? The fire started hours before the prime minister delivered remarks on a previously announced immigration reform plan. The plan would tighten a wide range of requirements, including scrutiny for asylum claims and the length of time international students can remain in the United Kingdom. The plan also would increase English language requirements for immigrants and double the length of time they must reside in the U.K. before qualifying for settlement. Starmer said his plan was a fair, common-sense effort to restore control of British borders.

Dig deeper: Read my report on a recent poll showing nearly half of Britons wouldn’t fight for their country.