Who is Britain’s new leader, Labor leader Keir Starmer? | Wilnesh News

LONDON – Britain has elected its first Labor prime minister in 14 years, as the opposition won a landslide victory in the July 4 election.

Keir Starmer takes over the country’s top job from Rishi Sunak and is expected to give his centre-left party a majority of around 170 seats.

Starmer’s political rise has been rapid since entering the British Parliament less than a decade ago. But many Britons still know little about the man who has positioned himself as a candidate for change in the country.

CNBC explores Britain’s new prime minister and his platform.

Starmer was born in London in 1962, the son of a toolmaker father and a nurse mother.

The 61-year-old often refers to his humble beginnings as a point of connection with British voters and says his mother’s lifelong battle with serious illness left him deeply grateful for the NHS .

Starmer was the first in his family to go to university, studying law at Leeds University. After completing postgraduate studies at Oxford University, Starmer began working as a barrister (that is, a British barrister) in 1987, taking on high-profile cases, including against Shell, McDonald’s and former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher mine closure case.

Starmer also served as human rights adviser during former Labor Prime Minister Tony Blair’s landmark Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement.

On the 2024 election campaign, Starmer touted The country has ushered in a “decade of national renewal” after what Labor describes as years of spending cuts and falling living standards under the Conservatives.

In the party’s election manifesto, released last month, Starmer outlined spending measures to create a new publicly owned energy company, reduce NHS waiting times, build new homes and renationalize rail services.

But he has also positioned himself as a staunchly pro-business figure, continuing his years-long charm offensive with traditionally right-leaning voters, laying out plans for “wealth creation” and a national wealth fund.

“Economic growth and social justice must go hand in hand,” Starmer said at the launch of the manifesto.

Labor has outlined five long-term missions after taking power: driving economic growth, investing in green energy, reforming the NHS, creating safer streets and delivering “opportunity” through a new skills agenda. To achieve these goals, Starmer is planning a sweeping shake-up of government ministries and Labor officials told the Financial Times.

Starmer, who voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum, has also pledged to improve the “bad” UK-EU deal, including in areas such as trade, research and security. However, he insisted there was no reason for the UK to rejoin the EU.

Despite his transformative agenda, Starmer is still seen by many as an establishment figure who lacks the charisma of other politicians. A YouGov poll His public popularity has lagged behind that of the reformist Nigel Farage since earlier this year, and his support among younger voters has fallen further.

Critics have also questioned Starmer’s core values ​​- for example, he remains on Corbyn’s senior team despite Corbyn facing accusations of antisemitism within the Labor Party. Starmer later suspended Corbyn from the party. Others accuse him of betraying the left, courting business leaders and abandoning promises to: Cancel college tuition.

However, after a rocky few years in British politics – with three different Conservative prime ministers in 2022 alone – Starmer’s supporters see him as a stable centrist figure after major political upheavals .

—CNBC’s Katrina Bishop contributed to this report.