Who is Britain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, ushered to power by his Labour Party's election landslide?
Photo: Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, addresses supporters at a reception to celebrate his win in the 2024 U.K. general election, at the Tate Modern museum in London, July 5, 2024.SUZANNE PLUNKETT/REUTERS
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
London — When Keir Starmer was elected to lead Britain's Labour Party in 2020, right after the party suffered its worst general election defeat in 85 years, he made it his mission to make the party electable again. Four years later, after 14 years of governments led by the rival Conservative Party, Starmer arrived Friday at the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street for the first time as the man in Britain's top job.
Starmer, 61, has faced years of criticism for a perceived lack of charisma, but his methodical mission to drag Labour back toward the center of British politics and broaden its voter appeal paid off. Starmer and Labour also, indisputably, capitalized on years of economic pain and political chaos under the Conservatives.
Starmer takes the reins of government with a herculean task at hand, with the British people's overall trust in politicians at rock bottom , a record number of children in the U.K. living in poverty , and both his party and the Conservatives grappling with how to handle surging support for a far-right, anti-immigrant strain of politics taking root across Europe.
Starmer met the king at Buckingham Palace right after Sunak, and the monarch took the constitutionally necessary but largely ceremonial step of inviting the Labour Party leader to form a new government, confirming Starmer's role as the new prime minister. Starmer left the palace and headed straight to Downing Street to give his first public address as the country's leader.
King Charles III welcomes newly appointed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Buckingham Palace, where the monarch formally invited Starmer to form the next British government, on July 5, 2024, the day after Starmer's Labour Party won a general election in a landslide. BUCKINGHAM PALACE/HANDOUT
Starmer declared it a "day of renewal," and a "return of politics to public service."
"We need to move forward together," he said, acknowledging the huge lack of trust in politics in the country generally and saying it can "only be healed by actions, not words. I know that, but we can make a start today."
"My government will serve you," he said, promising to show that "politics can be a force for good," by putting "country first, party second."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer — the former lawyer was knighted for services to criminal justice — has, through years of chaos (you may remember Partygate , or perhaps even Prime Minister Liz Truss' fewer than 50 days in power ) projected an almost dull managerialism that appears to have become a beacon for a welcome return to political normalcy.
Despite his legitimate background in tackling serious crime, Starmer has never managed to shake the image of a relatively boring politician. He's even leaned into it on occasion.
"If, in the end, that is the only bit of mud left to sling, then I'm pretty comfortable," he told Britain's ITV in January. "If they are calling you boring, you're winning."
What are Keir Starmer's policies?
Throughout his tenure as Labour leader, Starmer has tried to make his party more electable by forcing out individuals seen as entrenched in its socialist left wing — the faction that ran the party under its previous leader, Jeremy Corbyn (whose cabinet Starmer served in, incidentally).
After Corbyn called the findings of an inquiry into antisemitism in the party "dramatically overstated," Starmer suspended him.
"Sometimes you have to be ruthless to be a good leader," Starmer told Esquire about the episode.
His public mantra has been "country before party."
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Throughout his tenure as Labour leader, Starmer has tried to make his party more electable by forcing out individuals seen as entrenched in its socialist left wing — the faction that ran the party under its previous leader, Jeremy Corbyn (whose cabinet Starmer served in, incidentally).
After Corbyn called the findings of an inquiry into antisemitism in the party "dramatically overstated," Starmer suspended him
Starmer takes the reins of government with a herculean task at hand, with the British people's overall trust in politicians at rock bottom , a record number of children in the U.K. living in poverty , and both his party and the Conservatives grappling with how to handle surging support for a far-right, anti-immigrant strain of politics taking root across Europe.
Starmer declared it a "day of renewal," and a "return of politics to public service."
His public mantra has been "country before party."
Despite his legitimate background in tackling serious crime, Starmer has never managed to shake the image of a relatively boring politician. He's even leaned into it on occasion.
"If, in the end, that is the only bit of mud left to sling, then I'm pretty comfortable," he told Britain's ITV in January. "If they are calling you boring, you're winning."
Maybe if Biden were to dump some of his progressives like "The Squad" he might make the Democrat Party more palatable to voters as well.
Back in a few hours to post more - it's movie watching time.
Enjoy your movie.
TTFN.
CUL8R
I watched the movie Black Mass. It starred Johnny Depp but he was hardly recognizable. It was about gangsters in Boston.
Well, I suppose if your gonna be a gangster, Boston is probably one of the best places to do it! Or of course Chicago-- or maybe New York (back in the day).
Or perhaps Birmingham-- you know, "Peaky Blinders" and all that!
(Ah-- memories!!!)
How about MIami?
I was intrigued by Starmer, so I researched him. He was a "Socialist", and that plus his running on the Labour line led me to believe he was pretty left wing.
But apparently he's changed-- apparently he's no longer much of an ideologue, but it seems he could be best described as "a pragmatist").
Yes-- there still are some intelligent people in this world . . .
There has been much about him on the news and talk shows here.
I read that four years ago, when Starmer replaced Corbyn as the Labour leader, he sacked Jeremy from the Party, moved aside Corbyn allies, mended fences with British Jews and Israel and began moving the Party to the center.
He may well be a pragmatist. He has a middle class background. Gained his education and legal profession thru hard work and intelligence. Entered politics later in life. Prosecuted terrorism.
Perhaps he will be a Tony Blair.
I note from the lack of comments on this seed, that most here would rather write their 200th comment on Trump, pro or con than think about anything else.
Apparently one of the main criticisms leveled against him is that he's "boring".
Which is probably a plus!
Apparently one of the main criticisms leveled against him is that he's "boring".
Which is probably a plus!
He's said as much himself:
Despite his legitimate background in tackling serious crime, Starmer has never managed to shake the image of a relatively boring politician. He's even leaned into it on occasion.
"If, in the end, that is the only bit of mud left to sling, then I'm pretty comfortable," he told Britain's ITV in January. "If they are calling you boring, you're winning."
Being "boring"-- and getting the job done!
IMO, we need more politicians like that.
Well, it may seem a bit strange-- but perhaps some of them aren't capable of doing anything else?
As someone I know once said:
They'r not exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer.
(Of course I disagreed-- vigorously of course!
)
And rightfully so. Anytime a country has a major change of gov't it's news. (And especially someone from a country that is a major world power).
He grew up in a poor home in a poor neighbourhood and both parents had to work. It takes a lot to climb out of that, and he did it. Now let's see what he can do about the UK's problems, cause they have a lot of them these days.
They wouldn't get elected in America - too many people praise liars, thieves and radicals.
Well, he doesn't have the power to do that directly as they are elected officials (he could probably get rid of any that would be party officials, but none are).
Bowman's craziness caused him to lose the primary-- and perhaps the extremism of 2 or 3 others will cause them to lose primaries as well...
As Andy Dufresne wrote, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things."
Well, at least when it " springs eternal in the human breast"
pintarest? Yet another link I cannot open.