Keir Starmer: UK's New PM Who Led Labour to Oust the Conservatives

In a historic moment for Britain, Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, brought an end to 14 years of Conservative-led governments by securing a resounding majority in the national elections, subsequently assuming office as Prime Minister.

The Labour Party (center-left) achieved a landslide victory in the legislative elections held on July 4, 2024, securing 410 out of 650 seats in the House of Commons, far ahead of the Conservatives, who were left with only 131 seats, marking their worst electoral result since the early 20th century.

A total of 326 seats are necessary to obtain an absolute majority in the House of Commons and form the British government, which the Labour Party exceeded, allowing them to form the government independently.

The elections thus opened the doors of Downing Street to Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, aged 61, to assume the role of Prime Minister, just nine years after entering the political arena and four years after becoming the Labour Party leader.

Difficult Choices 

Buckingham Palace officially announced that King Charles appointed Labour Party leader Starmer as Prime Minister, succeeding Rishi Sunak, who submitted his resignation to the King.

In his victory speech in London on July 5, 2024, Starmer, whose party secured an absolute majority in Parliament, said, “Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country.”

Keir Starmer is the first Labour Party leader to win a general election in the United Kingdom in nearly 20 years, since Tony Blair in 2005.

Starmer will lead the country as one of the key and well-known figures in British politics, amid widespread public dissatisfaction with the Conservative Party.

On July 5, 2024, Rachel Reeves, the economist and politician who is set to become the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer in UK history, warned that the new Labour government would have to make "difficult choices" to address the challenges facing the country.

Reeves, a 45-year-old former economist at the Bank of England who was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in her constituency, stated, “All of our plans for government will rely on your hard work.” 

“I’m under no illusions about the scale of the challenges that we face, the difficult choices that we will have to make. I’m not promising you that it will be easy. There is a long road ahead. It comes with a great weight of responsibility. I embrace it. It will demand hard work. I am ready for it,” Reeves added. 

Keir Starmer 

Keir Rodney Starmer was born on September 2, 1962, and grew up in a small home in the suburbs of London under the care of his father and his mother, who suffered from a serious illness and passed away in June 2024.

His parents were animal lovers, and Starmer once joked,” Whenever one of us left home, they replaced us with a donkey."

His mother worked in the National Health Service, Britain's free public healthcare system, and his father was a toolmaker—a fact Starmer frequently mentioned during the election campaign.

After his legal studies at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford, Starmer focused on leftist causes, defending trade unions, anti-McDonald’s activists, and death row inmates abroad.

Previously knighted for his contributions to criminal justice, Starmer held diverse roles ranging from human rights lawyer to Director of Public Prosecutions before assuming leadership of the Labour Party.

Keir Starmer learned violin at school from Norman Cook, a former guitarist turned renowned music coordinator, and joined a prestigious music school in London on weekends.

A supporter of Arsenal, Starmer's wife Victoria works in the National Health Service, and they have a teenage son and daughter.

Starmer pledged that if elected, he would maintain his tradition of not working after 6 PM on Fridays and spend that time with his family.

Starting in 2003, he took on a role ensuring police compliance with human rights legislation in Northern Ireland.

Five years later, he was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales under Labour leader Gordon Brown's premiership.

From 2008 to 2013, he oversaw the trials of Members of Parliament for expense abuses, journalists for phone hacking, and youth rioters across England.

Starmer assisted in managing a left-wing magazine called Socialist Alternatives before becoming a lawyer, steadily rising to head the government's prosecution service. He was knighted in 2014, a year before transitioning to politics.

He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II, but rarely uses the title. In 2015, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for a left-leaning constituency in North London.

A pivotal moment in Starmer's life came when he was elected to lead the Labour Party in 2020, since when he has worked to persuade party members to keep him as their leader.

Keir Starmer, named after Labour Party founder Keir Hardie, is considered one of the most working-class-affiliated leaders of the opposition party in decades.

While criticized for lacking charisma, his methodical approach to bringing Labour back to the center of British politics and expanding its appeal among voters has borne fruit.

Starmer and the Labour Party have indisputably benefited from years of economic hardship and political turmoil under Conservative rule.

Challenges on the Road

Upcoming challenges for Starmer in the UK include immigration, healthcare, infrastructure, and the environment.

He will struggle to address rising support for extreme right-wing policies opposing immigration across Europe, especially amid moves by some countries to adopt the British model of deporting refugees to Rwanda, which has yet to be implemented.

Tax burdens in Britain are expected to reach their highest level since World War II, almost equaling annual GDP, especially as living standards decline and public services, particularly the National Health Service, face strikes.

However, according to the BBC, Starmer has several goals, including tackling tax evasion, shortening NHS patient waiting lists, and hiring more teachers and local police officers.

He also aims to negotiate a better deal with the European Union, given the disastrous economic consequences of the UK's 2016 exit from the EU.

In an earlier interview with BBC Radio, Starmer announced in early December 2022 his desire to replace the House of Lords with an elected chamber.

Keir Starmer's role in the UK Parliament includes navigating the dynamics between the elected House of Commons and the appointed House of Lords, which can amend or delay legislation.

The House of Lords comprises approximately 800 members appointed in a largely non-transparent manner. Former Prime Ministers often appoint allies to the "honors list," who subsequently become life peers.

Evaded Concerning Gaza

Regarding Gaza, which has faced Israeli genocide since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 38,000 deaths, Starmer's legal background did not align with clear statements on war crimes.

Despite being a former Queen's Counsel, he evaded calls for ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the besieged territory, which has endured conflict for 18 years.

During a train journey to Glasgow on December 9, 2023, accompanied by his wife, Starmer faced direct confrontation from activists reminding him of Gaza's plight. They challenged him on the humanitarian crisis, to which he cautiously responded, evading direct answers.

One activist asked him: "What happened to human rights? What happened to democracy? We call for peace and democracy, yet we see none of that when it comes to Palestinians."

Starmer has previously refused to ceasefires in Gaza multiple times, arguing that “it wouldn't be appropriate and could freeze the conflict, which would encourage Hamas,” a stance that many members of his party disagreed with.

In the upcoming period, Starmer is expected to face significant political challenges, particularly from veteran left-wing politician Jeremy Corbyn, who won his parliamentary seat despite previous clashes with Starmer.

Corbyn resigned as Labour Party leader in 2019 following the party's worst electoral defeat since 1935. He was subsequently expelled from the party by Starmer for allegedly undermining efforts to combat anti-Semitism.

Nevertheless, Corbyn retained his seat in Islington North, North London, since 1983, winning by a majority of 24,120 votes to 16,873 votes.

Corbyn stated that the election result was a resounding message from Islington residents seeking something different and better, emphasizing a government on the world stage that seeks peace, not war.

One of Starmer's notable stances includes his admiration for U.S. President Joe Biden, particularly for focusing on job creation and local industry investment. This admiration has been noted by publications such as The Economist, which described Starmer as smitten with the U.S. President.

Therefore, Joe Biden is expected to be a close ally of Starmer, particularly if he manages to defeat his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in the November 5, 2024, elections.

Starmer, who voted to remain rather than leave the European Union in the UK's 2016 referendum, pledged to improve the "failed" agreement between the UK and the EU, particularly in areas such as trade, research, and security.

However, Starmer insists that there is no scenario allowing Britain to rejoin the European Union.