Former human rights lawyer Keir Starmer is poised to become Britain’s next prime minister following an exit poll that predicted a decisive victory for the Labour Party on Thursday.
The poll, known for accurately forecasting the last five UK general elections, indicated late Thursday that Labour was set to secure a majority in the House of Commons, potentially replacing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who assumed office less than two years ago.
Starmer, 61, has overseen a remarkable transformation of the Labour Party, which suffered its worst electoral defeat in decades just a few years ago.
He has steered the party towards the political center while critiquing the leadership of three Conservative prime ministers.
Jill Rutter, from the London research group U.K. in a Changing Europe, commented on Starmer’s disciplined leadership style, noting, “He has been consistently disciplined, though some may find him unexciting… He may not inspire passion, but he exudes a relatively prime-ministerial demeanor.”
Starmer, who hails from a working-class background in Surrey, became the first in his family to attend college, studying at Leeds University and later at Oxford where he pursued law.
Named after Keir Hardie, Labour’s founding leader and a trade unionist, he gained prominence as a defense lawyer for activists accused of defamation by McDonald’s before ascending to become Britain’s chief prosecutor, eventually earning a knighthood.
Entering Parliament in 2015, he succeeded Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in 2020. Starmer departed from Corbyn’s policies by abandoning plans to nationalize energy companies and pledging not to increase taxes for working families.
He also committed to bolstering Britain’s military to counter a perception of anti-patriotism that lingered during Corbyn’s tenure.
Additionally, Starmer took steps to combat antisemitism within Labour’s ranks, although he has not publicly connected this effort to his personal life. His wife, Victoria Starmer, has ties to a Jewish family in London.
