Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain's Labour Party, became UK Prime Minister on Friday, July5, after Rishi Sunak of the Conservative Party stepped down. Starmer is the Labour Party’s first PM in 14 years. The Conservative Party lost the July 4 elections, giving way for Labour, which now has majority seats in UK Parliament. ALSO READ: Labour Party wins UK election in a landslide victory Starmer, 61, took over 10 Downing Street on Friday, after accepting the offer by King Charles. In his first public address as prime minister, Starmer declared a “day of renewal,” and a “return of politics to public service.” Who is Keir Starmer? Starmer was born in September 1926 and grew up in a small town in Surrey, outside London. He is the one of four children of Rodney Starmer and Josephine Starmer. His mother, who died in 2015, worked for UK’s National Health Service as a nurse and his father, who died three years later, worked as a toolmaker in factory. Starmer was named Keir after the first parliamentary leader of the Labour Party, J. Keir Hardie. He was the first member of his family to go to university, after which he ran a magazine called Socialist Alternatives. Starmer graduated from the University of Leeds with a bachelor of law degree in 1985. He became the director of public prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service in 2008 and remained in that position until 2013. Like Starmer, his wife, Victoria Starmer, whom he married in 2007, was trained as a legal professional. He is an Arsenal fan. Starmer became the leader of the Labour Party in 2020, replacing Jeremy Corbyn. He received knighthood in 2014, the year he joined politics. Starmer has served as a Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras since 2015.
