Keir Starmer

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, and was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. Born in Southwark, London, and raised in Surrey, Starmer was politically active as a teenager. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and received a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree from St Edmund Hall, Oxford, in 1986. After being called to the bar, Starmer worked predominantly in criminal defence, specialising in human rights. He served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, taking silk as a Queen's Counsel in 2002. During his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he handled major cases including the Stephen Lawrence murder case. In the 2014 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for services to law and criminal justice. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election. He supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum and advocated a proposed second referendum on Brexit. He served under Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Brexit Secretary and, following Corbyn's resignation after Labour's defeat at the 2019 general election, Starmer succeeded him by winning the 2020 leadership election. As Leader of the Opposition, he moved the Labour Party towards the political centre and emphasised the elimination of antisemitism within the party. His party made significant gains at the 2023 and 2024 local elections amidst a significant drop in membership in the years prior. Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory at the 2024 general election, ending 14 years of Conservative government with the smallest vote share of any majority government since record-keeping began in 1830. Under Starmer's premiership, the government has ended certain Winter Fuel Payments, implemented an early-release scheme for thousands of prisoners to decrease prison overcrowding, and settled several public-sector strikes. It launched the Border Security Command to replace the Rwanda asylum plan and a National Violent Disorder Programme following nationwide riots in 2024. Starmer restricted visa conditions and closed legal migration routes, as outlined in his government's migration white paper. His government has also announced changes to the planning system, workers' and renters' rights, an increase in the minimum wage and investment in a new nuclear power station. In foreign policy, Starmer has continued support for Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian war and called for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza war, later formally recognising the State of Palestine. His government negotiated free trade agreements with India, the European Union and the United States, and focused on improving relations with China. Starmer has proven unpopular with the British public. His net approval rating began slightly positive, falling over the course of his premiership to an average of –46% by November 2025; an Ipsos poll that month indicated he was the least popular prime minister since its records began in 1977. Starmer has also presided over a period of deep unpopularity towards Labour, with the party facing record electoral losses during the 2025 and 2026 local elections which culminated in a leadership crisis in May 2026.