2024 United Kingdom elections: Who is Keir Starmer? Britain's next prime minister

All you need to know about Keir Starmer

• Keir Starmer was born in London in 1962 and grew up in the town of Oxted, Surrey, where he was raised by his toolmaker father and NHS nurse mother.[3]
• He was politically active from a young age, joining the Labour Party Young Socialists at 16.
• Starmer has a strong academic background, holding a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds and a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree from the University of Oxford.
• Prior to entering politics, Starmer had a successful career as a human rights barrister, serving as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and being appointed Queen's Counsel in 2002.
• Starmer was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, where he dealt with high-profile cases like the Stephen Lawrence murder.
• He was elected to the House of Commons in 2015 as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, a safe Labour seat.
• Starmer supported the unsuccessful Britain Stronger in Europe campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum, but later advocated for a second referendum under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.
• After Corbyn's resignation, Starmer won the 2020 Labour leadership election on a left-wing platform, positioning himself as a more centrist, pragmatic leader.[3]
• As Labour leader, Starmer has sought to distance the party from the Corbyn era, emphasizing a more professional and electorally viable approach.[1][4]
• Starmer is known for his vegetarianism, self-professed socialism, and a reputation that divides opinions, with some viewing him as moving towards the right in his pursuit of power.

Here are Keir Starmer's key policies as the likely next UK PM:

• Economic stability: Starmer has pledged to "deliver economic stability" by sticking to "tough spending rules" and focusing on growing the economy. He has avoided making big-spending promises, instead emphasizing fiscal responsibility.
• NHS improvements: Starmer plans to "cut NHS waiting times" by providing 40,000 more evening and weekend appointments each week. This is aimed at addressing the NHS's staffing and backlog issues.
• Border security: Starmer wants to "launch a new Border Security Command" to crack down on illegal migration and people-smuggling gangs. He has indicated a willingness to do a deal with the EU on migrant quotas.
• Energy nationalisation: Starmer has promised to "set up Great British Energy", a new publicly owned clean power company, as part of Labour's plans for green energy transition.
• Tackling anti-social behaviour: Starmer has pledged to "crack down on anti-social behaviour" as part of his law and order agenda.
• Education funding: Starmer has committed to "recruit 6,500 new teachers" in key subjects to address staffing shortages in the education system.
• Foreign policy: Starmer has promised a "new strategic partnership" with India, including pursuing a free trade agreement. He also plans to stop arms sales to Israel and progress towards recognizing a Palestinian state.