Kier Starmer

Keir Starmer was born on September 2, 1962, in Southwark, London, and grew up in a pebble-dashed semi in Oxted, Surrey, the second of four children. His father, Rodney Starmer, was a toolmaker who worked in a factory, and his mother, Josephine, was a nurse who suffered from Still’s disease, a rare and painful autoimmune condition.

Kier Starmer 2024 Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street / Open Government Licence v3.0

Keir attended Reigate Grammar School, which went independent during his time there — he was a scholarship student and, unlike many of his contemporaries in politics, did not come from privilege. His classmates included future Conservative MP David “Two Brains” Willetts.

Starmer studied law at the University of Leeds and later completed a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He was called to the bar in 1987 and became a Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 2002 — though he famously objected to the term “Queen’s Counsel” due to its monarchical connotation.

As a human rights lawyer, Starmer earned a reputation for challenging unpopular causes. He represented protesters and opposed the death penalty in Caribbean nations. One of his best-known cases involved defending two environmental activists in the "McLibel" trial, the longest-running case in British legal history.

He served as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from 2008 to 2013. In this role, he oversaw high-profile prosecutions including the Stephen Lawrence murder retrial and cases related to the News International phone hacking scandal. He was knighted in 2014 for services to law and criminal justice.

Starmer in 2009 by Crown Prosecution Service - UK Government Web Archive, 

Despite his knighthood, Sir Keir famously avoids using the title and is known for his low-key, workmanlike manner — a trait that has earned him both admiration and critique in British political life.

Starmer entered politics relatively late. He was elected as MP for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015, succeeding Frank Dobson. He became Shadow Brexit Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn in 2016 and was one of the more high-profile figures in Labour’s fraught Brexit negotiations.

In April 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he was elected Leader of the Labour Party, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn. He ran on a unity platform, pledging to maintain Labour’s core values while restoring electability — a balancing act that has defined his leadership.

Keir Starmer is the first Labour leader in British history to be named after a former Labour leader. His parents, staunch Labour supporters, named him after Keir Hardie, the party’s founding father.

Keir Starmer became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on July 5, 2024, following a landslide victory for the Labour Party in the general election. He succeeded Rishi Sunak, ending 14 years of Conservative-led government. 

After being invited by King Charles III to form a government, Starmer delivered his first speech as Prime Minister outside 10 Downing Street, emphasizing a commitment to "stability and moderation" and pledging to rebuild trust in politics through public service and respect for all citizens. 

Keir Starmer and Victoria Alexander were married on May 6, 2007 at the Fennes Estate, a Georgian manor house located just north of Bocking in Essex. The ceremony featured a personal touch, with Victoria walking down the aisle to the second movement of Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto, one of Keir’s favourite pieces of music. 

The couple met in the early 2000s while working on the same legal case—Keir was a senior barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, and Victoria was a solicitor. They became engaged in 2004 during a holiday in Santorini. 

Since their wedding, Keir and Victoria Starmer have maintained a relatively private family life. They have two children, a son born in 2008 and a daughter born in 2010, both raised in their mother’s Jewish heritage. 

Victoria, now known as Lady Starmer, continues to work in occupational health within the NHS and is known for keeping a low public profile despite her husband's prominent political role. 

Starmer and his wife by Kirsty O'Connor/ No 10 Downing Street - https://www.flickr.com

Outside politics, Starmer is a keen footballer and a lifelong supporter of Arsenal FC. He played five-a-side well into his 50s and once said if he hadn’t been a lawyer or politician, he’d have liked to be a professional footballer — though, he concedes, "I was not quite good enough."

He is also an amateur musician; in his youth, he played the flute, violin, piano, and recorder, and once shared a flat with Norman Cook — better known as Fatboy Slim — while at university.

Despite his often serious public image, friends describe Starmer as dryly funny, intensely focused, and deeply loyal — qualities that have shaped both his courtroom style and his political leadership.