Keir Rodney Starmer was born on 2 September 1962, at Southwark in south east London,[1][2][3] and grew up in the town of Oxted, Surrey.[4][5][6] He was the second of the four children of Josephine (née Baker), a nurse, and Rodney Starmer, a toolmaker.[6][7] His mother contracted Still's disease.[8][2] His mother attended St. John's Anglican Church in Hurst Green while his father was an atheist.[9] He was nominally "brought up Church of England."[10] His parents were both Labour Party supporters, and reputedly named him after the party's first parliamentary leader, Keir Hardie,[11][12] although Starmer neither confirmed nor denied whether this was the case when asked in 2015.[13]
Starmer passed the 11-plusexamination and gained entry to Reigate Grammar School, then a voluntary-aidedselectivegrammar school.[1][12] Reigate GS converted into an independent fee-paying school in 1976, while he was a student. The terms of the conversion were such that his parents were not required to pay for his schooling until he turned 16, and when he reached that point, the school, now a charity, awarded him a bursary that allowed him to complete his education there without any parental contribution.[14][15][16] The subjects he chose to study in the sixth form during his last two years at school were mathematics, music and physics, in which he achieved A level grades of B, B and C.[17] Among his classmates at Reigate were the musician Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), with whom Starmer took violin lessons; Andrew Cooper, who later became a Conservative peer, and the future conservative journalist Andrew Sullivan. According to Starmer, he and Sullivan "fought over everything... Politics, religion.. You name it."[6]
Starmer has been called to the Bar in several Caribbean countries,[24] where he defended convicts sentenced with the death penalty.[6] In 1999, he was a junior barrister on Lee Clegg's appeal.[25] Starmer assisted Helen Steel and David Morris in the McLibel case, at the trial and appeal in English courts, also representing them before the European Court of Human Rights.[26] Starmer was appointed Queen's Counsel on 9 April 2002, aged 39.[27] In the same year, he became joint head of Doughty Street Chambers. In 2005, Starmer said "I got made a Queen's Counsel, which is odd since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy".[28] Starmer authored legal opinions and marched in protest against the Iraq War following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, stating in 2015 that he believed that the war was "not lawful under international law because there was no UN resolution expressly authorising it".[29][6]
Starmer served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers, and was also a member of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Death PenaltyAdvisory Panel from 2002 to 2008.[2][11] The Northern Ireland Board was an important part of bringing communities together following the Good Friday Agreement, and Starmer later cited his work on policing in Northern Ireland as being a key influence on his decision to pursue a political career: "Some of the things I thought that needed to change in police services we achieved more quickly than we achieved in strategic litigation... I came better to understand how you can change by being inside and getting the trust of people".[30] Starmer represented Croatia at the genocide hearings before the International Court of Justice at The Hague in 2014, arguing that Serbia wanted to seize a third of Croatian territory during the 1990s war and eradicate the Croatian population.[31]
In February 2010, Starmer announced the CPS's decision to prosecute three Labour MPs and a Conservative peer for offences relating to false accounting in the aftermath of the parliamentary expenses scandal, who were all found guilty.[34][35] Starmer prioritised rapid prosecutions of rioters over long sentences during the 2011 England riots, which he later concluded helped to bring "the situation back under control".[36][37] In February 2012, Starmer announced that Chris Huhne would be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice, stating in relation to the case that "[w]here there is sufficient evidence we do not shy away from prosecuting politicians".[38]
In 2012, journalist Nick Cohen published allegations that Starmer was personally responsible for allowing the prosecution of Paul Chambers to proceed, in what became known as the "Twitter joke trial". The CPS denied that Starmer was behind the decision, saying that it was the responsibility of a Crown Court and was out of Starmer's hands.[39] When Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse crimes were exposed in 2012, Starmer said amid the subsequent scandal that "It was like a dam had bust and people rightfully wanted to know why he had been allowed to get away with it for so long."[40] In 2013, Starmer announced changes to how sexual abuse investigations were to be handled amid Operation Yewtree, including a panel to review complaints.[41][42]
My predecessor, the Right Hon. Frank Dobson, to whom I pay tribute, was a powerful advocate of the rights of everyone in Holborn and St Pancras throughout his highly distinguished parliamentary career. Widely respected and widely regarded, he served the people of Holborn and St Pancras for 36 years. Although I doubt I will clock up 36 years, I intend to follow in Frank Dobson's footsteps—albeit my jokes are likely to seem tame when compared with his, and I might give the beard a miss.
— Keir Starmer in his maiden speech to the House of Commons, May 2015
On 4 January 2020, Starmer announced his candidacy for the resultant leadership election.[60][61][62] He gained support from former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London MayorSadiq Khan.[63] During the Labour leadership campaign, Starmer ran a left-wing platform and positioned himself in opposition to austerity, stating that Corbyn was right to position Labour as "the party of anti-austerity".[64][65] He indicated he would continue with the Labour policy of scrapping tuition fees as well as pledging "common ownership" of rail, mail, energy and water companies, and called for ending outsourcing in the NHS, local government and the justice system.[66] Starmer was declared the winner of Labour's leadership contest on 4 April 2020, defeating rivals Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy, with 56.2% of the vote in the first round.[67][68][69]
It is the honour and the privilege of my life to be elected as Leader of the Labour Party. I want to thank Rebecca and Lisa for running such passionate and powerful campaigns and for their friendship and support along the way. I want to thank our Labour Party staff who worked really hard and my own amazing campaign team, full of positivity, with that unifying spirit. I want to pay tribute to Jeremy Corbyn, who led our party through some really difficult times, who energised our movement and who's a friend as well as a colleague. And to all of our members, supporters and affiliates I say this: whether you voted for me or not I will represent you, I will listen to you and I will bring our party together.
Having become Leader of the Opposition during the COVID-19 pandemic, Starmer said in his acceptance speech that he would refrain from "scoring party political points" and would work with the Government "in the national interest".[70] He later became more critical of HM Government's response to the pandemic following the partygate scandal.[71] In May 2022, Starmer said he would resign were he to receive a fixed penalty notice for breaching COVID-19 regulations while campaigning during the run-up to the Hartlepool by-election and local elections the previous year.[72] The controversy surrounding the event was dubbed "beergate".[73] In July 2022, Durham Police cleared Starmer and said that he had "no case to answer".[74] In August 2022, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, found that Starmer had breached the MPs' code of conduct eight times by failing to register interests on eight occasions.[75][76]
As Labour Leader, Starmer focused on repositioning the Party away from the Left and the controversies that plagued Corbyn's leadership, with promises of economic stability, tackling small-boat crossings, cutting NHS waiting times and "rebuilding the NHS", worker rights enrichment, energy independence and infrastructure development, tackling crime, improving education and training, reforming public services, renationalising the railway network, and recruiting 6,500 teachers.[87] Starmer also pledged to end anti-semitism within the Labour Party.[88][89] In October 2020, following the release of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)'s report into anti-semitism in the Labour Party, Starmer accepted its findings in full and apologised to Jews on the Party's behalf.[90][91] In February 2023, Starmer's anti-semitism reforms resulted in the Labour Party no longer being monitored by the EHRC.[92]
Starmer considered quitting after Labour's mixed results in the 2021 local elections, the first local elections of his leadership, but later felt "vindicated" by his decision to stay on, saying "I did [consider quitting] because I didn't feel that I should be bigger than the party and that if I couldn't bring about the change, perhaps there should be a change. But actually, in the end, I reflected on it, talked to very many people and doubled down and determined, no, it is the change in the Labour Party we need".[99]
On 22 May 2024, Sunak announced that a general election would be held on 4 July 2024. Labour entered the general election with a large lead over the Conservatives in opinion polls, and the potential scale of the party's victory remained a topic of discussion throughout the campaign.[102][103]
In June 2024, Starmer released the Labour Party manifesto Change, which focused on economic growth, planning system reforms, infrastructure, what Starmer describes as "clean energy", healthcare, education, childcare, and strengthening workers' rights.[104][105] It pledged a new publicly-owned energy company (Great British Energy), a "Green Prosperity Plan", reducing patient waiting times in the NHS, and renationalisation of the railway network (Great British Railways).[106] Promising wealth creation together with "pro-business and pro-worker" policies,[107] the manifesto also pledged giving 16-year-olds the vote, reforming the House of Lords, and to tax private schools, with money generated going into improving state education.[108][109] On taxes, the day after the manifesto was released, Starmer pledged that not only would income tax, national insurance and VAT not be increased, but that, per their manifesto, their plans were fully costed and funded and would not require tax increases.[110]
Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory in the general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative government with Labour becoming the largest party in the House of Commons.[111] Labour achieved a 174-seat simple majority and a total of 411 seats, the party's third-best result in terms of seat-share following the 1997 and 2001 general elections. The party became the largest in England for the first time since 2005, in Scotland for the first time since 2010 and retained its status as the largest party in Wales.[112] Despite this, Labour won 34% of the vote – the lowest of any party forming a majority government in the post-war era,[113] leading to concerns about the proportionality of the election.[114][115]
In his victory speech, Starmer thanked Labour Party workers for their hard work – including nearly five years of revamping and rebranding Labour in the face of Conservative dominance – and urged them to savour the moment, but warned them of challenges ahead and pledged his government would seek "national renewal":[116][117]
We did it! You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived. Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party. This is what it is for – a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people. And across our country people will be waking up to the news, relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation. And now we can look forward. Walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back. We said we would end the chaos and we will. We said we would turn the page and we have. Today we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country.
— Keir Starmer on 5 July 2024, following his general election victory
As the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons, Starmer was appointed as Prime Minister by Charles III on 5 July 2024, becoming the first Labour Prime Minister since Gordon Brown and the first one to win a general election since Tony Blair in 2005.[118][119] He and his wife were driven from Buckingham Palace to Downing Street. Starmer stopped the car on the way back from the palace to go on a walkabout in Downing Street to meet cheering crowds.[120]
In his first speech as Prime Minister, Starmer paid tribute to his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, saying "his achievement as the first British Asian Prime Minister of our country should not be underestimated by anyone" and he also recognised "the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership", but added that the people of the UK had voted for change:[121]
You have given us a clear mandate, and we will use it to deliver change. To restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives, and unite our country. Four nations, standing together again, facing down, as we have so often in our past, the challenges of an insecure world. Committed to a calm and patient rebuilding. So with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this government of service in the mission of national renewal. Our work is urgent and we begin it today.
Upon becoming Prime Minister, Starmer set about appointing a new Cabinet which first met the next day on 6 July, and he completed his ministerial appointments the following day, 7 July 2024.[129] Parliament was then recalled to meet on 9 July.[130]
Domestically, Starmer said that his primary concerns would be economic growth, reforming the planning system, infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, childcare and strengthening workers' rights, as set out in Labour's 2024 election manifesto.
The 2024 State Opening of Parliament outlined 39 pieces of legislation that Labour proposed to introduce in the months ahead, including Bills to renationalise the railways, to bring local bus services under local public control, to strengthen the rights of workers, to tackle illegal immigration, to reform the House of Lords, and undertaking a programme to speed up the delivery of "high quality infrastructure" and housing. In addition, a number of Bills proposed by the previous Conservative administration were also included, notably the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which featured in the 2023 King's Speech, but had been abandoned when the election was called.[135][136]Skills England, a body whose objective will be to reduce the need for overseas employees by improving skills training for people in England, was launched on 22 July.[137][138]
Shortly after taking office, Starmer said that there were "too many prisoners",[143] and described the previous government as having acted "almost beyond recklessness".[144] In order to manage the prison overcrowding, newly-appointed Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the implementation of an early release scheme which allowed for prisoners in England and Wales to be released after serving 40% of their sentences rather than the 50% previously introduced under the last government.[145] Over 1,700 prisoners were released in September, with further releases expected in the following year.[146] It then emerged that one prisoner released early under the scheme was charged with sexual assault relating to an alleged offence against a woman on the same day he was freed.[147] Starmer has defended the releasing of prisoners, and accused the previous government of having "broke[n] the prison system."[148]
Two-child benefit cap
Starmer has refused to scrap the two-child benefit cap introduced by the Cameron–Clegg coalition government in 2013, citing financial reasons.[149][150][151] On 23 July 2024, Labour withdrew the whip from seven of its MPs who had supported an amendment tabled by the Scottish National Party's Westminster parliamentary leader Stephen Flynn to scrap it, with Flynn saying that scrapping the cap would immediately raise 300,000 children out of poverty. MPs rejected the SNP amendment by 363 votes to 103.[152] The seven Labour MPs suspended for six months were John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Apsana Begum, Imran Hussain, Zarah Sultana and Rebecca Long-Bailey, all of whom now sit as independents. Starmer launched a Child Poverty Taskforce, in which expert officials from across government would work together on how best to support more than four-million children living in poverty.[153]
Following the 2024 Southport stabbing, Starmer described the incident as horrendous and shocking and thanked emergency services for their swift response.[154] He visited Southport and laid flowers at the scene, where he was heckled by some members of the public.[155] Starmer later wrote amid the ongoing riots across England and Northern Ireland following the stabbing that those who had "hijacked the vigil for the victims" had "insulted the community as it grieves" and that rioters would feel the full force of the law.[156]
On 1 August, and following a meeting with senior police officers, Starmer announced the establishment of a National Violent Disorder Programme to facilitate greater cooperation between police forces when dealing with violent disorder.[157] On 4 August, Starmer stated that rioters "will feel the full force of the law" and that "You will regret taking part in this, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves". He added "I won't shy away from calling it what it is – far-right thuggery".[158][159] Starmer later called an emergency response meeting of COBRA.[160] After the COBRA meeting, Starmer ordered a "standing army" to be set up to tackle the ongoing "far-right" riots. This was possible under the special emergency powers which first used 40 years ago under the Ridley Plan, to tackle striking miners in 1984 and 1985.[161]
Starmer faced criticism for his response to the riots, including from Twitter-owner Elon Musk, for not condemning all participants and only blaming the far-right.[162] Musk dubbed the Prime Minister "two-tier Keir", asking "why aren't all communities protected in Britain?".[163][164][165] Starmer rejected calls from some MPs, including Reform Party leader Nigel Farage and Conservative Dame Priti Patel, to recall parliament to Westminster.[166]
Economy
The new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, accused the previous government of leaving a £21.9bn "black hole", and announced on 29 July that certain winter fuel payments would be scrapped for around 10 million pensioners.[167][168] Following criticism of the plan, Starmer has defended the scrapping of these winter fuel payments, arguing that he had to make "tough decisions to stabilise the economy".[169][170] On 10 September, the Government benches defeated a Conservative Party motion in Parliament by a majority of 120 to block the measure.[171]
Starmer's Labour Government inherited a number of ongoing industrial disputes from the preceding Conservative Government and agreed pay deals with trade unions representing NHS and railway workers, ending strikes in the first few months of taking office.[172] In August 2024, Starmer's government agreed to increase public-sector worker pay by 5 to 7 per cent.[173]
On 10 October, the Government implemented the most significant enhancement of employment regulations in a generation. This included an increase in minimum wages and a wide array of rights, such as immediate protection against unfair dismissal and the entitlement for employees to request flexible working arrangements, unless the employer can demonstrate that such arrangements are impractical.[174][175] Billions worth of investments in emerging growth sectors including AI and life sciences, and infrastructure were unveiled by businesses and ministers at the government's inaugural International Investment Summit on 14 October 2024. World-renowned CEOs and investors from around the world convened with ministers, First Ministers, and local leaders at the Guildhall in London.[176]
On 11 September 2024, Starmer pledged that there would be no more money for the NHS without reform. In response to the report from a nine-week review conducted by peer and NHS surgeon Lord Darzi, which said that the NHS in England was in a critical condition, Starmer said the solution was reform, not money, and that there will be no more money without reform.[177]
The October 2024 United Kingdom budget was presented to the House of Commons by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves on 30 October 2024. She is the first woman to present a UK Budget, marking the Labour Party's first Budget in over 14 years. It covered Labour's fiscal plans, with a focus on investment, healthcare, education, childcare, sustainable energy, transport, and worker's rights enrichment. The National Minimum Wage is set to increase by 6.7% (reaching £12.21 per hour) and a £22.6bn increase in the day-to-day health budget was announced, with a £3.1bn increase in the capital budget. That includes £1bn for hospital repairs and rebuilding projects.[178] The government plans to allocate £5 billion for housing investment in the fiscal year 2025–26, with a focus on enhancing the availability of affordable housing. Education will receive £6.7bn of capital investment, a 19% real-terms increase. This includes £1.4bn to rebuild more than 500 schools.[179]
Parts of this article (those related to Section) need to be updated. The reason given is: Lack information on Starmer's meeting with Donald Trump during the 79th session of the UN general assembly in New York. Also lack information on Starmer congratulating Trump for his victory in the 2024 US presidential election.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2024)
Starmer with US President Joe Biden at the White House, 10 July 2024
In July 2024, following the 2024 general election, US President Joe Biden congratulated Starmer on "a hell of a victory".[184] Starmer and Biden discussed their shared commitment to the Special Relationship between the US and the UK, as well as mutual support of Ukraine.
Starmer and Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO summit in 2024
The first overseas meeting Starmer attended as Prime Minister was the 2024 NATO summit held in Washington from 9 to 11 July 2024.[186][187] On the flight to the summit, Starmer laid out a "cast iron" commitment to increase defence spending to the NATO target of 2.5% of GDP in line with the NATO target, following a "root and branch" review of British armed forces.[188][189]
Europe
Parts of this article (those related to Section) need to be updated. The reason given is: Lack information on 4th European Political Community Summit at Blenheim Palace.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2024)
Starmer hosting Taoiseach Simon Harris to Anglo-Irish bilateral talks at Chequers, 17 July 2024
Since becoming Prime Minister, Starmer has sought to "reset" UK relations with the European Union following Brexit, which he opposed. He met with a number of European leaders during his first few months in office.[190][191]
On 27 August 2024, Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced talks towards revising a Germany-UKco-operation agreement covering areas including defence, energy security, science and technology.[192]
Under Starmer's premiership, licences of some British arms sales to Israel were suspended in September 2024 because of a "clear risk" the weapons could be used in breach of international law. Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the UK Government's suspension of 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel, affecting equipment such as parts for fighter jets, helicopters and drones.[199]
Starmer's political positions have changed since the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, which he won on a ten pledge left-leaning platform. Most of these pledges, including increasing income tax on top 5% of earners, the abolition of university tuition fees, nationalisation of public services including water and energy, and support for freedom of movement, were scrapped or watered down during Starmer's tenure as Labour and Opposition leader. Starmer has defended this by saying the changing economic circumstances made these pledges unviable.[200][201][202][203]
Some commentators, judging that Starmer has led his party towards the political centre in order to improve its electability, attempt to liken what he has accomplished in this regard with Tony Blair's development of New Labour.[204] Others regard his changes of policy as testament that Starmer holds no clearly-defined philosophy.[205][206][207] A third group think that Starmer does subscribe to a definite ideology and that it is towards the left end of the socialist spectrum, arguing that "Labour under Starmer has advanced a politics of anti-neoliberalism like that of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell", and that Starmer "differs markedly from New Labour" in "aspiring to restructure an economic model perceived to have failed".[204] Figures including Starmer's former boss – the barrister Geoffrey Robertson[208] – his former advisor Simon Fletcher,[209] and the journalist and broadcaster Peter Oborne,[210] have described Starmer as exhibiting an authoritarian approach.[211] Despite the lack of consensus as yet about the character and even existence of Starmer's ideology, it has acquired a neologism, Starmerism, and his supporters have been called Starmerites.[212][213]
In April 2023, Starmer gave an interview to The Economist on defining Starmerism.[213][214] In this interview, two main strands of Starmerism were identified.[214] The first strand focused on a critique of the British state for being too ineffective and over-centralised. The answer to this critique was to base governance on five main missions to be followed over two terms of government: these missions would determine all government policy. The second strand was the adherence to an economic policy of "modern supply-side economics" which focuses on infrastructure, education, simplifying the construction planning process, expanding labour supply, while rejecting tax cuts and deregulation.[215][216]
In June 2023, Starmer gave an interview to Time where he was asked to define Starmerism, stating: "Recognizing that our economy needs to be fixed. Recognizing that [solving] climate change isn't just an obligation; it's the single biggest opportunity that we've got for our country going forward. Recognizing that public services need to be reformed, that every child and every place should have the best opportunities and that we need a safe environment, safe streets, et cetera."[217]
Starmer has repeatedly emphasised the reform of public institutions (against a tax and spend approach), localism, and devolution. He has pledged to abolish the House of Lords, which he describes as "indefensible", during the first term of a Labour government and to replace it with a directly-elected Assembly of the Regions and Nations, the details of which will be subject to scrutiny by public consultation. He criticised the Conservatives for creating peerages for "cronies and donors".[218] Starmer tasked former PM Gordon Brown with recommending British constitutional reforms,[219] whose report was published in 2022. Endorsed and promoted by Starmer, Brown's report recommended the abolition of the House of Lords, extending greater powers to local councils and mayors, and deeper devolution to the countries of the United Kingdom.[220] Labour's 2024 election manifesto committed to the removal of the remaining hereditary peers from the chamber, setting a mandatory retirement age of 80, and beginning a consultation on replacing the Lords with a "more representative" body.[221] Starmer strongly favours green policies to tackle climate change and decarbonise the British economy. He has committed to eliminate fossil fuels from the UK electricity grid by 2030.[222][223]
In a July 2024 statement to PinkNews ahead of the 2024 election, Starmer stated the Labour Party supported LGBT+ rights, including strengthening protections against hate crimes targeting members of the LGBT community, "modernising" the "intrusive and outdated" gender recognition framework, and a proposed, "trans-inclusive" ban on conversion therapy.[224][225] Starmer has ruled out allowing transgender people to self-ID, and has also said he will continue the block on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill in Scotland.[226][227][228] After taking office, the Labour Party announced a fully trans-inclusive conversion therapy ban.[229][230] After the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, Starmer supported the Black Lives Mattermovement, and took the knee alongside his deputy, Angela Rayner.[231] One year on from Floyd's murder, Starmer promised a Race Equality Act, which he said would be a "defining cause" for his Labour Government.[232]
In the wake of the Murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, Starmer called for longer sentences for rape and sexual violence.[233] Starmer said he wants crime reduced, maintaining that "too many people do not feel safe in their streets".[234] He has pledged to halve the rates of violence against women and girls, halve the rates of serious violent crime, halve the incidents of knife crime, increase confidence in the criminal justice system, and create a 'Charging Commission'[235] which would be "tasked with coming up with reforms to reverse the decline in the number of offences being solved".[236] He has also committed to placing specialist domestic violence workers in the control rooms of every police force responding to 999 calls to support victims of abuse.[237] Starmer said that Blair's era of New Labour was right to be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime".[238][239] In June 2024, Starmer pledged to reduce record high legal immigration to the UK,[240] and aims to reduce net migration by improving training and skills for British workers.[241][242]
In December 2023, Starmer used Margaret Thatcher, as well as Tony Blair and Clement Attlee, as examples of how politicians can effect "meaningful change" by acting "in service of the British people, rather than dictating to them".[243][244] Starmer has described the Labour Party as "deeply patriotic" and credits its most successful leaders, Attlee, Wilson, and Blair, for policies "rooted in the everyday concerns of working people".[234] Starmer advocates a government based on "security, prosperity and respect". In a speech in May 2023, Starmer stated:
Don't mistake me, the very best of progressive politics is found in our determination to push Britain forward. A hunger, an ambition, that we can seize the opportunities of tomorrow and make them work for working people.
But this ambition must never become unmoored from working people's need for stability, for order, security. The Conservative Party can no longer claim to be conservative. It conserves nothing we value — not our rivers and seas, not our NHS or BBC, not our families, not our nation. We must understand there are precious things – in our way of life, in our environment, in our communities – that it is our responsibility to protect and preserve and to pass on to future generations. If that sounds Conservative, then let me tell you: I don't care.
Starmer and his wife Victoria, outside No. 10, 5 July 2024
Starmer met Victoria Alexander, then a solicitor, in the early 2000s while he was a senior barrister with Doughty Street Chambers when they were working on the same case. They became engaged in 2004 and married on 6 May 2007 at the Fennes Estate[246] just north of Bocking, Essex.[1][247][248] The couple have two children, a son, who was born a year after their wedding, and a daughter, born two years after that. Both are being brought up in their mother's Jewish heritage.[249][250] Until moving in to Downing Street, the couple resided in Kentish Town, north London, where they own a townhouse.[251][252][253]
Starmer is a pescatarian, and his wife is a vegetarian. They raised their children as vegetarians until they were 10 years old, at which point they were given the option of eating meat.[254] In an interview during the 2024 general election campaign, Starmer said that his biggest fear about becoming Prime Minister was the impact it may have on his children, due to their "difficult ages" and how it would be easier if they were younger or older.[255] During the 2024 general election campaign, Starmer said in an interview that he would try to avoid working after 6 p.m. on Fridays in order to observe Shabbat dinners and spend time with his family.[256][257]
Starmer with his family's pet Siberian kitten, Prince, at 10 Downing Street, 19 September 2024
^ abcdefghBates, Stephen (1 August 2008). "Profile: Keir Starmer". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
^"Hello: MP Keir Starmer". On The Hill. London: Primrose Hill Community Association. 22 November 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
^"Keir Starmer, a serious Labour man". The Economist. 27 February 2020. ISSN0013-0613. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023. While it is hard to define what Sir Keir stands for politically, it is clear what he isn't: a populist. He personifies the 'blob' that populists accuse of frustrating the will of the people.
^"Sir Keir Starmer announces plans to lower legal migration". Sky News. 2 June 2024. Figures published after Rishi Sunak called the general election showed a net of 685,000 arrived in the UK last year – down from a record of 764,000 in 2022. ... In 2012, when the data from the Office for National Statistics starts, net migration was just under 200,000.
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