Keir Starmer

The first Labour prime minister in 14 years, Starmer inherited a public finances crisis, NHS backlog and a political moment dominated by global uncertainty. His approval ratings fell sharply in his first year despite a historic majority, as his government faced the difficult reality of governing with limited fiscal room.

Keir Rodney Starmer was born on September 2, 1962, in Oxted, Surrey. The son of a nurse and toolmaker, he was named after Keir Hardie, the first Labour MP. He studied law at Leeds University and Oxford, becoming a leading human rights barrister before serving as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. He was knighted for services to law and politics. Elected as Labour leader in 2020, he systematically reversed Jeremy Corbyn's platform to position Labour as electable centrists.