British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, 61, will become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, after the largest electoral defeat in history suffered by the Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak. Who is Starmer and what does he represent? A sketch of the new Prime Minister.
Sir Keir Rodney Starmer was born on 2 September 1962 in the historic London district of Southwark, but grew up in a working-class family in the small village of Oxted, south London. Starmer was the first in his family to continue his education and gain a law degree.
Then his career began within the British justice system. He specialised as a human rights lawyer and represented people all over the world. While working in Northern Ireland, advising the Northern Ireland Police Service on human rights, among other things, he decided that he wanted to enter politics later. This would happen in 2015, when he was elected to the House of Commons on behalf of the Labour Party.
Party Leader
After another defeat for Labour, Starmer will become leader of the party in 2020. He initially served as a shadow minister within the party, which brought him notoriety. He has pulled the party more towards the centre, in contrast to his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. He has also been criticised from the left. In May this year, two controversial Tory MPs switched to Labour.
Starmer has set out five tasks he wants to address: investing in green energy, sustainable growth for all, improving healthcare, reforming the justice system, and creating equal opportunities for all children, regardless of their background.
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Who is Starmer outside politics?
British voters describe Starmer as a “boring man,” despite his extensive CV. People wonder how he is a politician outside of politics. Starmer himself says he is fine if “that’s the only thing the British press says.”
Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin described the politician as “complex and full of paradoxes”. According to him, Starmer is someone who thinks carefully about decisions and sometimes backtracks on them. He added: “He doesn't have the charisma that made so many people believe in Boris Johnson, but he has his values and his compassion. That makes him both special and ordinary.
According to the British press, the Labour Party's huge election victory is not directly due to Starmer's image, but because voters are completely fed up with the Conservative Party and want to see change.
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Labour wins UK election, delivers big defeat to Sunak
Written by: Rick Hartkamp
