Keir Starmer

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician who has been serving as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as the Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was the Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has represented Holborn and St Pancras as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2015 and was previously the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.

Born in London and raised in Surrey, Starmer attended Reigate Grammar School. Politically active from a young age, he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree from St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, in 1986. After being called to the Bar, he focused on criminal defence and human rights law. He was a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and became a Queen’s Counsel in 2002. As Director of Public Prosecutions, he handled high-profile cases, including the Stephen Lawrence murder case. He was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours, receiving the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for his contributions to law and criminal justice.

His experience in Northern Ireland’s policing influenced his transition to politics, leading to his election to Parliament in 2015. He supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum and later advocated for a second referendum on Brexit. As Shadow Brexit Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, he played a key role in Labour’s Brexit policy. After Corbyn stepped down following Labour’s defeat in the 2019 general election, Starmer won the 2020 Labour leadership election. As Leader of the Opposition, he shifted the party towards the political centre and took steps to address antisemitism within Labour. Under his leadership, the party made significant gains in the 2023 and 2024 local elections, despite a decline in Labour’s membership.

In the 2024 general election, Starmer led Labour to a decisive victory, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. However, his government secured the smallest vote share of any majority government since record-keeping of the popular vote began in 1830. As Prime Minister, he has overseen the removal of certain winter fuel payments for around 10 million people, launched an early-release scheme to reduce prison overcrowding, and resolved various public-sector strikes. His administration replaced the Rwanda asylum plan with the newly established Border Security Command and introduced the National Violent Disorder Programme in response to the 2024 riots. Additionally, he has implemented reforms to workers’ rights.

In foreign policy, Starmer has strongly supported Ukraine in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and backed Israel in the Israel-Hamas war while also advocating for a ceasefire in the latter conflict.

Personal Life

Keir Starmer met his wife, Victoria Alexander, in the early 2000s while both were working on the same legal case—she was a solicitor, and he was a senior barrister at Doughty Street Chambers. The couple got engaged in 2004 and married on 6 May 2007 at the Fennes Estate, located just north of Bocking, Essex. They have two children: a son born a year after their wedding and a daughter born two years later. Both children are being raised in the Jewish faith. Before moving into Downing Street, the family lived in Kentish Town, North London, where they owned a townhouse.

Starmer follows a pescatarian diet, while his wife is a vegetarian. Their children were raised vegetarian until they turned 10, after which they were given the option to eat meat. During the 2024 general election campaign, Starmer expressed concerns about how his role as Prime Minister might affect his children, given their "difficult ages." He stated that if they had been either younger or older, the transition might have been easier for them. In the same campaign, Starmer also mentioned that he would try to finish work by 6 p.m. on Fridays to observe Shabbat dinners and spend time with his family.

Although Starmer is an atheist, he acknowledges the unifying role of faith in society. He has opted to take a "solemn affirmation" instead of an oath when pledging allegiance to the monarch. Despite his lack of religious belief, he attends services at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in North London with his family.

Starmer is passionate about football and has played for Homerton Academicals, an amateur team based in North London. He is an avid supporter of Arsenal Football Club. In addition to his political career, he has written articles for The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph, and other newspapers. Between 1986 and 1987, he served as editor of Socialist Alternatives, a radical Trotskyist magazine linked to the International Revolutionary Marxist Tendency (IRMT), which represented the British section of the movement.

Since September 2024, Starmer and his family have had a Siberian kitten named Prince at 10 Downing Street.

On 26 December 2024, Starmer’s brother Nick passed away after being diagnosed with cancer. The following day, Starmer issued a statement honoring his brother’s memory.

Early Political Career

Member of Parliament

In December 2014, Keir Starmer was selected as the Labour Party candidate for Holborn and St Pancras, a constituency considered a safe seat for the party. This followed the retirement of its long-serving MP, Frank Dobson. In the 2015 general election, Starmer secured victory with a majority of 17,048 votes (52.9%). He strengthened his position in the 2017 general election, increasing his majority to 30,509 votes (70.1%). However, in the 2019 general election, his majority was slightly reduced to 27,763 votes (64.9%), and in the 2024 general election, it declined further to 18,884 votes (48.9%).

During the 2016 European Union membership referendum, Starmer actively campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU as part of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign. He has been a member of both Labour Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East. After Labour’s defeat in the 2015 general election and Ed Miliband’s resignation as leader, some activists encouraged Starmer to run for party leadership, but he declined, citing his limited experience in politics. Instead, he supported Andy Burnham, who ultimately lost to Jeremy Corbyn.

Shadow Portfolios

In September 2015, Starmer was appointed Shadow Home Office Minister under Jeremy Corbyn. However, in June 2016, he resigned along with other members of the Shadow Cabinet in protest against Corbyn’s leadership following the Brexit referendum. Despite this, after Corbyn was re-elected as party leader in September 2016, Starmer returned to the frontbench as Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. In this role, he repeatedly pressed Prime Minister Theresa May on the government’s Brexit strategy, demanded greater transparency on Brexit negotiations, and advocated for a second referendum.

Following Labour’s defeat in the 2019 general election, Corbyn announced he would not lead the party into another election and initiated a period of reflection. Starmer gradually distanced himself from Corbyn’s leadership, later stating in 2024 that he had been "certain that we would lose the 2019 election."

Labour Leadership Bid

On 4 January 2020, Starmer formally launched his campaign to become Labour leader. His bid was endorsed by key figures in the party, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. During his leadership campaign, Starmer positioned himself as a left-wing candidate, strongly opposing austerity and emphasizing that Corbyn was right to position Labour as the party against austerity policies. He also pledged to maintain Labour’s commitment to abolishing university tuition fees, called for "common ownership" of rail, mail, energy, and water companies, and advocated for ending outsourcing in the NHS, local government, and the justice system.

On 4 April 2020, Starmer won the Labour leadership contest in the first round, securing 56.2% of the vote and defeating his rivals, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy. In his acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude to his campaign team, praised Jeremy Corbyn for energizing the party, and promised to unite Labour, ensuring that all members, regardless of who they supported, would be represented under his leadership.

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