After the final two contests were counted on Friday morning, Keir Starmer was elected as the new British Prime Minister.
Rishi Sunak left the prime minister’s official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, where he had lived for only 14 months, and announced that he would immediately meet with King Charles to formally resign.
He apologized to the British public, acknowledged their anger, and took personal responsibility for his party’s significant defeat.
Starmer subsequently met with the king at Buckingham Palace.
The monarch took the constitutionally necessary, though largely ceremonial, step of inviting the Labour Party leader to form a new government, confirming Starmer as the new prime minister.
Starmer then proceeded to Downing Street to deliver his first public address as the nation’s leader.
Background of Keir Starmer:
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a former lawyer knighted for his contributions to criminal justice, has projected a steady, managerial style through years of political upheaval.
Starmer grew up in a small town in Surrey, near London. His mother worked for the National Health Service, and his father was a toolmaker—a fact he frequently mentioned during his campaign.
His mother suffered from Still’s disease, a type of inflammatory arthritis, and passed away shortly after Starmer was first elected to Parliament in 2015.
His father died three years later.
Starmer has spoken about the strained relationship he had with his father and his regret at not expressing his love and respect for him.
Starmer was the first in his family to attend university. He later co-ran a left-wing magazine and became a lawyer, eventually leading the Crown Prosecution Service in 2008. He was knighted in 2014, a year before he entered politics.
Despite his substantial legal background, Starmer has often been seen as a relatively dull politician, a perception he has sometimes embraced.
Starmer’s Policies:
As Labour leader, Starmer has aimed to make the party more electable by distancing it from its socialist left wing, which was prominent under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Starmer suspended Corbyn after he dismissed an inquiry into antisemitism within the party as “dramatically overstated.”
Starmer’s leadership has focused on a centrist approach, sometimes to the discontent of his party’s left-leaning members.
He has reversed several key pledges, including raising income tax, abolishing university tuition fees, and nationalizing major public services.
He has also faced criticism for changing his stance on a significant green investment pledge and his ambiguous position on alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
In a recent speech, Starmer outlined a long-term “big, bold plan” for Britain, but emphasized the need for “first steps.” These include tackling tax avoidance, reducing NHS patient waiting times, and increasing the number of teachers and neighborhood police officers.
He also aims to negotiate a better deal with the EU following the economic fallout of Brexit.
Starmer described his modest election pledges as a “down payment” on what Labour can offer if given time.
Political scientist Tim Bale noted that while some on the left feel betrayed by Starmer and others on the right see him as inconsistent, his actions reflect a determination to win and govern.
