Keir Starmer

**Sir Keir Rodney Starmer** KCB PC (born 2 September 1962) is a British Labour politician and barrister who has served as the 62nd President of the Commonwealth since 2023, succeeding Boris Johnson. He previously served as a senator for London from 2019 to 2023, and Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 through 2013.

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## Personal details

### Born

Keir Rodney Starmer
2 September 1962 (age 60)
London, Commonwealth of Britain

### Education

Reigate Grammar School
Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Starmer was born in London and raised in Surrey, where he attended the selective state Reigate Grammar School, which became a private school while he was a student. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and gained a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree at St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford in 1986. After being called to the Bar, Starmer practised predominantly in criminal defence work, with a particular interest in human rights issues. He was a member of Doughty Street Chambers. He was appointed as President's Counsel (PC) in 2002. In 2008, he became Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Head of the Commonwealth Prosecution Service, holding these roles until 2013. On conclusion of his five-year term as DPP, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours.

He was elected to the senate in 2018, succeeding Labour senator Jeremy Corbyn. Starmer was endorsed by Corbyn to succeed him, despite Starmer opposing Corbyn in the 2018 primary, though he did endorse Corbyn in the general election. Despite campaigning to the left in his successful senate bid, he was much more moderate in his voting record as a senator, which led to many Corbynites turning against him.

In June 2021, Starmer announced his intention to run for the presidency, stating the importance of accountability and electability in order to win, after 3 consecutive Labour presidential defeats. Following his victory over opponents Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Wrong Daily, he selected Anneliese Dodds as his running mate. He went on to defeat Conservative nominee Rishi Sunak in November 2022, and was inaugurated as President on 20 January the following year.

## Early Life

Starmer was born in Southwark, London, on 2 September 1962. He grew up in the small town of Oxted in Surrey. He was the second of the four children of Josephine (née Baker), a nurse, and Rodney Starmer, an owner of a toolmaking factory. His mother had Still's disease. His parents were Labour Party supporters, and named him after the party's founder, Keir Hardie. He passed the 11-plus examination and gained entry to Reigate Grammar School, then a voluntary aided selective grammar school. The school was converted into an independent fee-paying school in 1976, while he was a student. Among his classmates were the musician Norman Cook, alongside whom Starmer took violin lessons, Andrew Cooper, who went on to become a  Conservative state representative, and future conservative journalist Andrew Sullivan; according to Starmer, he and Sullivan "fought over everything".

## Legal Career

### Barrister

Starmer became a barrister in 1987 at the Middle Temple, becoming a bencher there in 2009. He served as a legal officer for the campaign group Liberty until 1990. He was a member of Doughty Street Chambers from 1990 onwards, primarily working on human rights issues. He has been called to the bar in several Caribbean countries, where he has defended convicts sentenced to the death penalty. He assisted Helen Steel and David Morris in the McLibel case, in the trial and appeal in English courtst. The case was seen as a David and Goliath case; a large team of leading lawyers represented McDonald's and the legal bills were estimated at £10m. By contrast Steel and Morris were denied legal aid, they acted on their own with help from lawyers including Starmer.
Starmer was appointed President's Counsel on 9 April 2002, aged 39. In the same year, he became joint head of Doughty Street Chambers. Starmer served as a human rights adviser to the Ulster Policing Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers, and was also a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's death penalty advisory panel from 2002 to 2008. He later cited his work on policing in Ulster as being a key influence on his decision to pursue a political career, using it during his senate and presidential campaigns, both in the primary and general elections. In 2007, he was named "PC of the Year" by Chambers and Partners.

## Senator (2019-2023)

In January 2018, senator for London Jeremy Corbyn announced he was standing down from the senate in order to focus on his presidential run. He was endorsed by Corbyn, and he won the Senate primary by a landslide in May. In the November general election, he defeated his Conservative opponent by 15 percentage points.

When he was sworn in as a senator, he stated his mission was to hold "far-right" president Johnson accountable during his presidency. His voting record as a senator was largely moderate within the Labour party. In October 2019, following an anti semetism report, he upset many Labour activists when he endorsed the decision to remove Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour party, by the Labour Party court. Furthermore, Starmer did not endorse Corbyn's bid for London senate as an independent in 2020, instead endorsing the Labour candidate Chuka Ummuna. In the runoff between Jeremy Corbyn and incumbent Conservative senator Andrew Rosindell, he voted for Corbyn, but was criticised by many Corbyn supporters for not campaigning much for him after Rosindell won re-election.

## 2022 presidential campaign

On 30th June 2021, Keir Starmer announced his candidacy for president. Like most of the other candidates, he pledged to run a different style of campaign to the 2018 Corbyn campaign. His main focuses included: beating the Conservatives, building a "fair" economy, and uniting the country. He had significant endorsements, including from former President Gordon Brown.

He faced criticism for unclear stances on nationalisation of key industries, trade union policy.

He was widely seen as the winner of the debates in the primary, and his main rivals, Rebecca Wrong Daily and Lisa Nandy were not viewed very well by the party. Starmer won the primary in a landslide, and in the 2022 Labour Convention, he selected Anneliese Dodds as his running mate, the chair of student Labour.

Starmer would then face Conservative nominee Rishi Sunak in the  general election, which he won 314-224 electoral college votes.

## Presidency (2023-present)

### Inauguration

Keir Starmer was sworn in as 62nd President on January 20th, aged 60. This makes him the oldest president inaugurated since Philip Mountbatten. Some 150,000 visited London on Inauguration day.

### 2023

Upon entering office, Starmer signed 6 executive orders in his first 5 days. This included addressing supply chain issues, reinstating energy regulations, and expanded no knock warrants.

On 24 January, his administration authorised the federal arrest of Jack Morrison, a prominent computer hacker, who was responsible for billions in damage globally since 2013. Morrison was ordered to be sent to a super maximum federal prison, where he is awaiting trial. Starmer suggested sending him to Contenir Island.

### Foreign Policy

Starmer pledged the Commonwealth would continue support to Ukraine during the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. On 29 January, he visited Kiev and met with President Zelensky of Ukraine.
His administration refused to send fighter jets to Ukraine, however.

On 22 January, Starmer pushed Qatar, a British middle eastern territory, to legalise homosexuality. Following refusal, the Homosexual Rights in British Territories Act 2023 (HRBTA) forced Qatar to legalise homosexual relationships, signed by President Starmer on 4 April 2023. A poll showed Starmer to have a 17% approval rating in Qatar in April 2023.

Starmer authorised aid to the Ottoman Empire during the 2023 Ottoman Earthquakes.

His administration condemned the use of the word "Empire" in the Ottoman Empire's name. The Ottomans rebutted requesting the words be withdrawn, claiming Starmer is threatening relations with Britain particularly their most favoured nation trading status.

### Domestic Policy

In March 2023, Starmer signed the Great British Energy Act 2023, which nationalised the British energy companies.

In April 2023, Starmer announced his 2023 Budget proposal.

On 15 April 2023, a brick crisis emerged, due to the lack of brick imports. Starmer responded by signing an executive order to ensure the Commonwealth can get as much brick imports as possible and to address potential house cost increases.