Keir Starmer Biography
Keir Starmer Biography – Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB KC, born on 2 September 1962, is a British politician and barrister who has been serving as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 5 July 2024 and as the Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was the Leader of the Opposition from 2020 until 5 July 2024 and has represented Holborn and St. Pancras as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2015.
Keir Starmer was born in London and grew up in Surrey, attending the selective state Reigate Grammar School. He became politically active early, joining the Labour Party Young Socialists at 16. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree from the University of Oxford in 1986. As a barrister, Keir Starmer specialized in criminal defense and human rights, serving as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and becoming a Queen’s Counsel in 2002. He was the Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013, dealing with significant cases such as the Stephen Lawrence murder case. In 2014, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for his services to law and criminal justice.
His experiences in Northern Ireland influenced his decision to enter politics. Keir Starmer was elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 general election. He supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 EU referendum and proposed a second Brexit referendum. In Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, he served as Shadow Brexit Secretary. Following Labor’s 2019 general election defeat, Starmer won the 2020 leadership election. As Leader of the Opposition, he moved Labor towards the political center, focusing on eradicating antisemitism and achieving significant gains in the 2023 and 2024 local elections.
Under Keir Starmer leadership, Labor won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, ending 14 years of Conservative government. His domestic agenda includes economic growth, planning reforms, infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, childcare, and workers’ rights. He also plans to establish the Border Security Command. In foreign policy, Keir Starmer has supported Ukraine against Russia and Israel against Hamas, while calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza since February 2024.
Profile
- Full Name – Keir Rodney Starmer
- Date Of Birth – born on 2 September 1962
- Age – 61 Years old
- Occupation – Barrister
Keir Starmer Early Life and Education
Keir Starmer Rodney was born on 2 September 1962 in Southwark, London, and raised in Oxted, Surrey. He was the second of four children of Josephine, a nurse, and Rodney Keir Starmer, a toolmaker. His mother had Still’s disease. Keir Starmer parents were Labour Party supporters and reportedly named him after the party’s first parliamentary leader, Keir Hardie.
Keir Starmer passed the 11-plus exam and attended Reigate Grammar School, which converted to an independent fee-paying school in 1976. His parents were not required to pay for his schooling until he was 16, after which he received a bursary. He studied mathematics, music, and physics for his A-levels, achieving grades of B, B, and C. His classmates included musician Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) and conservative journalist Andrew Sullivan. At 16, Keir Starmer joined the Labour Party Young Socialists and was active in Labour politics. He was a junior exhibitioner at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama until 18, playing various instruments. In the early 1980s, he was caught by police illegally selling ice creams in France but escaped without punishment.
Keir Starmer studied law at the University of Leeds, graduating with first-class honors in 1985, and completed postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in 1986.
Keir Starmer Legal Career
Keir Starmer became a barrister in 1987 and served as a legal officer for Liberty until 1990. He joined Doughty Street Chambers in 1990, focusing on human rights. He was called to the bar in several Caribbean countries to defend death penalty convicts and worked on high-profile cases such as the McLibel case. Furthermore, he became a Queen’s Counsel in 2002 and joint head of Doughty Street Chambers. Furthermore, he opposed the Iraq War in 2003, deeming it unlawful under international law.
Keir Starmer advised the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers and was part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s death penalty advisory panel from 2002 to 2008. His work in Northern Ireland influenced his decision to pursue politics.
Keir Starmer Personal Life
Keir Starmer met Victoria Alexander, a solicitor, in the early 2000s, and they got married on 6 May 2007. They have two children who are raised in their mother’s Jewish heritage. The family lived in Kentish Town, north London, before moving to Downing Street.
Keir Starmer is a pescatarian, while his wife is a vegetarian. They raised their children as vegetarians until they were 10. Keir Starmer has expressed concern about the impact of his prime ministerial role on his children and aims to observe Shabbat dinners with his family.
An atheist, Keir Starmer takes a “solemn affirmation” of allegiance to the monarch but recognizes the power of faith. He accompanies his family to the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in London. A keen footballer, he supports Arsenal and has written articles for various newspapers. From 1986 to 1987, he edited the Trotskyist magazine Socialist Alternatives.
