Keir Starmer

It’s just been announced that an Ipsos MORI survey put Labour five points ahead of the Conservatives giving them the first lead since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister. There is little doubt that the British public are unhappy with Johnson. You Gov polls have revealed that only 17% of the public believe that he has a clear plan on how to handle the corona outbreak. Whilst Johnsons’s popularity dwindles, Labour Leader Keir Starmer’s popularity appears to be increasing. Le Document decided it was time to do some research and find out about the man who could one day be our Prime Minister. 

Keir Starmer’s parents were both Labour Party supporters, and they named him after the party's first parliamentary leader, Keir Hardie. The young Starmer grew up on the Surrey-Kent border, his father was a toolmaker and his mother was a nurse. In one interview Keir revealed there were times his family experienced financial hardships, "There were many times in which the electricity or the telephone bill didn’t get paid.” Keir’s mum suffered from a rare affliction called Still’s Disease that causes havoc with her joints and her immune system. 

When Starmer was a teenager he joined the East Surrey Young Socialists and when he went to college he helped set up a pamphlet named Socialist Alternatives, which strove to change the basis of the economy to socialist ends. In one interview, with Tony Benn, Keir said Labour should become “the united party of the oppressed.” 

Starmer studied law at the University of Leeds, graduating with a first class Law degree in 1985, becoming the first member of his family to graduate. He undertook postgraduate studies at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, graduating from the University of Oxford as a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) in 1986. 

Whilst working as a Solicitor Keir met his future wife. They have a son and a daughter and live together in North London. Keir is very keen to keep his private life private and doesn’t want the public to know his children’s names. However we do know he got married in 2007 and that Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 was played at the ceremony. We also know his wife stopped working as a solicitor so she could devote her time being a mentor to deprived children. 

In an interview with the Jewish Chronicle Keir revealed, “As you probably know my wife’s family is Jewish. On her father’s side there are bar mitzvahs, synagogues — there’s all the traditions.”

When interviewed by the unfunny Tory comedian, Ayesha Hazarika, about his Desert Island Discs, he told her that he would pick Desmond Dekker’s The Israelites because it reminded him of his work on a campaign to end capital punishment in the Caribbean as a young lawyer. Another favourite single of Keir’s is a cover of Lou Reed’s song Paul Blue Eyes performed by Paul Quinn and Edwyn Collins. Stramer has also revealed that his favourite album is You Can’t Hide Your Love Away For Ever by Orange Juice (featuring Edwyn Collins). 

Keir’s voting record reveals that he has always believed in equality, and human rights, and that he’s always supported same sex marriage. Starmer voted to allow terminally ill people to be given assistance to end their life. He generally voted for transferring more powers to the Scottish Parliament and more powers to welsh assembly.

He also voted for publicly run bus services and nationalising the railway system. When there was a race to be the leader of The Labour Party, Keir believed it was time for a female leader but it was clear Keir was the person the party wanted and in the first round he got 56.2% of the vote, beating rivals Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy. In order to win a general election Starmer will need to overturn a Conservative majority of 80 seats, in a statement released after his victory, he acknowledged he had a “mountain to climb”. The future is unwritten and having Starmer as our P.M. is not impossible. The Guardian newspaper’s view is that, “Sir Keir is a sober, competent leader. But he must show he can sense – and tap – a popular demand for change.”

GQ magazine have said that Starmer’s ability to appeal to all wings of the party "his Labourness"  makes him a formidable opponent. Le Document has faith in Keir and believe he can achieve the ten pledges made on his website:

1. Economic justice

Increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reverse the Tories’ cuts in corporation tax and clamp down on tax avoidance, particularly of large corporations. No stepping back from our core principles.

2. Social justice

Abolish Universal Credit and end the Tories’ cruel sanctions regime. Set a national goal for wellbeing to make health as important as GDP; Invest in services that help shift to a preventative approach. Stand up for universal services and defend our NHS. Support the abolition of tuition fees and invest in lifelong learning.

3. Climate justice

Put the Green New Deal at the heart of everything we do. There is no issue more important to our future than the climate emergency. A Clean Air Act to tackle pollution locally. Demand international action on climate rights.

4. Promote peace and human rights

No more illegal wars. Introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice.

5. Common ownership

Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water; end outsourcing in our NHS, local government and justice system.

6. Defend migrants’ rights

Full voting rights for EU nationals. Defend free movement as we leave the EU. An immigration system based on compassion and dignity. End indefinite detention and call for the closure of centres such as Yarl’s Wood.

7. Strengthen workers’ rights and trade unions

Work shoulder to shoulder with trade unions to stand up for working people, tackle insecure work and low pay. Repeal the Trade Union Act. Oppose Tory attacks on the right to take industrial action and the weakening of workplace rights.

8. Radical devolution of power, wealth and opportunity

Push power, wealth and opportunity away from Whitehall. A federal system to devolve powers – including through regional investment banks and control over regional industrial strategy. Abolish the House of Lords – replace it with an elected chamber of regions and nations.

9. Equality

Pull down obstacles that limit opportunities and talent. We are the party of the Equal Pay Act, Sure Start, BAME representation and the abolition of Section 28 – we must build on that for a new decade.

10. Effective opposition to the Tories

Forensic, effective opposition to the Tories in Parliament – linked up to our mass membership and a professional election operation. Never lose sight of the votes ‘lent’ to the Tories in 2019. Unite our party, promote pluralism and improve our culture. Robust action to eradicate the scourge of antisemitism. Maintain our collective links with the unions.

Keir Starmer MP, in his statement responding to the EHRC’s report into anti-semitism in the Labour Party, said:

“This morning the Equality and Human Rights Commission published their final report into anti-semitism in the Labour Party. I want to thank Caroline Waters, David Isaac and everyone at the Commission for their work in the last year and a half. It is a comprehensive, rigorous, and thoroughly professional report. When the Commission was set up by the last Labour Government to tackle discrimination, promote equality, and protect human rights. It never occurred to me or anyone else, that one day the Labour Party would be investigated for breaching the equality legislation that a Labour Government had introduced. Worse still, that the Labour Party would be found to have committed unlawful acts under that same legislation. But that is what this report finds. Both in terms of unlawful harassment through the acts of our agents and unlawful indirect discrimination. The report’s conclusions are clear.And stark. They leave no room for equivocation. The report finds: Serious failings in leadership, processes and culture in dealing with anti-semitism within our Party; specific examples of unlawful harassment and unlawful indirect discrimination; “clear examples” of political interference from the Leaders’ Office in anti-semitism cases; an inadequate process for handling complaints of anti-semitism; a failure to deliver adequate training for staff responsible for investigating cases; repeated failure to implement the recommendations of previous reports into anti-semitism; A culture that is, and I quote: “at odds with the Labour Party’s commitment to zero-tolerance of anti-semitism”; And – perhaps most telling of all: “a clear breakdown of trust between the Labour Party, many of its members and the Jewish community.” I found this report hard to read. And it is a day of shame for the Labour Party. We have failed Jewish people. Our members. Our supporters. And the British public. And so: on behalf of the Labour Party: I am truly sorry for all the pain and grief that has been caused. To Jewish people, our Jewish members, our long-standing Jewish affiliate, JLM. To the people driven out of our Party, the Jewish Members driven out of Parliament, including Louise Ellman and Luciana Berger. And to the members of Labour Party staff who spoke out, I want to say this: I know how hard these last few years have been for you. How painful today will be and how hard you have had to fight to have your voices heard. So let me be clear, I hear you. And I can promise you this: I will act. Never again will Labour let you down. Never again will we fail to tackle anti-semitism. And never again will we lose your trust. The Labour Party I lead accepts this report in full. And without qualification. We will implement all the recommendations. And we will implement them in full. That process starts today. I have already instructed my staff to start work with the Commission to implement the recommendations at the earliest possible opportunity. We will provide the Commission with our action plan to achieve all of this within six weeks. We will establish an independent complaints process – and it will be in place as soon as possible in the New Year. We will ensure that neither the Leader, the Deputy Leader nor our offices will have any involvement in the outcome of complaints initiated under the Labour Party processes And we are already addressing the backlog of anti-semitism cases. In fact, there have been more cases completed in the last six months than in the whole of 2019. But we will go much further. And we must go further. Because – as the report makes clear – this cannot be solved just by changing the Labour Party’s processes and structures. We also need a culture change in the Labour Party. It must become, once again, an open and welcoming place for people from all backgrounds, and all communities. Under my leadership, zero-tolerance of anti-semitism will mean precisely that. If you’re anti-semitic, you should be nowhere near this Party. And we’ll make sure you’re not. And if – after all the pain, all the grief, and all the evidence in this report, there are still those who think there’s no problem with anti-semitism in the Labour Party. That it’s all exaggerated, or a factional attack. Then, frankly, you are part of the problem too. And you should be nowhere near the Labour Party either. This report is painful to read. But I urge everyone to do so. Because this must be a line in the sand. There can be no more missed opportunities. No more denials or excuses. Under my leadership, Labour will act decisively against anti-semitism in all its forms. We will repair the breach. I know it will take time. And hard work. But when I stood for leader of this Party, I was clear that my first priority would be to root out anti-semitism. And rebuild trust. That started in April We have made progress. It will intensify today. But I will only consider it a success when those members who left our Party because of anti-semitism feel safe to return. And when we no longer hear the words “Labour” and “anti-semitism” in the same sentence. Thank you."

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