About Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and former lawyer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2024 to 2026. He served as Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2026 and as Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015. Before entering politics, he was a barrister and served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. Born in Southwark, London, and raised in Surrey, Starmer was politically active for the Labour Party Young Socialists as a teenager. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and received a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree from St Edmund Hall, Oxford, in 1986. After being called to the bar, Starmer worked predominantly in criminal defence, specialising in human rights. He served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, taking silk as a Queen's Counsel in 2002. During his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he handled major cases including the Stephen Lawrence murder case. In the 2014 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for services to law and criminal justice. Starmer was elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election. He supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum and advocated for a second referendum on Brexit. He served under Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Brexit Secretary and, following Corbyn's resignation after Labour's defeat at the 2019 general election, Starmer succeeded him by winning the 2020 leadership election. As Leader of the Opposition, he moved the Labour Party towards the political centre and emphasised the elimination of antisemitism within the party. His party made significant gains at the 2023 and 2024 local elections amidst a significant drop in membership in the years prior. Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory at the 2024 general election, ending 14 years of Conservative government with the smallest vote share of any majority government since record-keeping began in 1830. Under Starmer's premiership, his government ended Winter Fuel Payments for some pensioners, implemented an early-release scheme for thousands of prisoners to decrease prison overcrowding, and settled several public-sector strikes. He launched the Border Security Command to replace the Rwanda asylum plan and a National Violent Disorder Programme following nationwide riots in 2024, established Great British Energy and decriminalised abortion in England and Wales. Starmer restricted visa conditions and closed legal migration routes, as outlined in his government's migration white paper. His government also announced changes to the planning system, workers' and renters' rights, an increase in the minimum wage and investment in a new nuclear power station. In foreign policy, Starmer continued support for Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian war and Israel in the Gaza War – however, later in the war he called for a ceasefire and formally recognised the State of Palestine. His government negotiated free trade agreements with India, the European Union and the United States, and focused on improving relations with China. Starmer proved unpopular with the British public. His net approval rating began slightly positive but fell over the course of his premiership to an average of −46% by November 2025; an Ipsos poll that month indicates he was the least popular prime minister since its records began in 1977. Starmer also presided over a period of deep unpopularity towards Labour and a period of left-wing exodus from the party (specifically, to the Green Party), with the party facing record electoral losses during the 2025 and 2026 local elections which culminated in a leadership crisis and his resignation. Starmer tendered his resignation to King Charles III on 20 July 2026. He was succeeded by Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester. His parents were both Labour Party supporters, and reputedly named him after the party's first parliamentary leader, Keir Hardie, although Starmer did not confirm this when asked in 2015. He won a junior exhibition from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he played the flute, piano, recorder and violin until the age of 18.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.