Who Is Keir Starmer, the UK’s New Labour PM?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Keir Starmer, a relatively unknown politician, was formally appointed as prime minister of the United Kingdom on Friday after Starmer’s Labour Party won a majority in Thursday’s parliamentary elections.
For Context: Starmer promised “stability and moderation” in his first speech as PM, saying, “Our country has voted decisively for change, national renewal and a return to the politics of public service.” He also paid tribute to the “dedication and hard work” of former PM Rishi Sunak.
‘Complex, unknowable, aggrieved’: Politico’s (Lean Left bias) Tanya Gold wrote that Starmer had become “one of the most prominent center-ground leaders in the world,” despite the fact that “Britain barely knows who he is.” This echoed an NBC News (Lean Left bias) profile, which described him as “a vegetarian and a self-described socialist but also a hate figure for many leftists who accuse him of veering rightward in search of power.”
‘Unlikely to produce any significant change’: While right-rated sites published few opinions or analyses on Starmer — potentially reflecting a lack of interest among right-rated outlets in news outside the U.S. — the Washington Examiner’s (Lean Right bias) Tom Rogan wrote that Starmer “is expected to stay close to the political center ground, at least at the start of his term.” A separate analysis from the Examiner said, “While he is a socialist, the new prime minister has moved to the center on some economic issues and has frustrated some pro-Palestinian factions of his party with his position on the war in Gaza.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Keir Starmer: From indie kid to prime minister![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-center.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/c9183cd0-3ac2-11ef-bf3c-6b64b5f6bcbf.jpg?itok=4JdImmRo)
Three years ago Sir Keir Starmer seriously considered quitting as Labour leader.
It was 2021 and his party had just lost the Hartlepool by-election to Boris Johnson’s Conservatives.
It was the first time Labour had ever lost the seat. Three short years feel like a political lifetime ago now.
Sir Keir has become only the fifth person in British history to take Labour from opposition to power.
His party has gone from a historic thumping at the general election in 2019 – to victory in 2024.
The Hartlepool result though,...
From the Left
Who is Keir Starmer? Britain's new prime minister is complex, unknowable, aggrieved![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-leaning-left.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/KEIR-853x1024.jpg?itok=8lr2XT5Q)
Keir Starmer, a human rights lawyer from a small town in southern England, is the new prime minister of the United Kingdom. His victory on July 4 was overwhelming. Yet Britain barely knows who he is.
Starmer has been a politician for only nine years, and since being crowned U.K. Labour leader in 2020 has steered his party from its worst election defeat in almost a century to become the dominant force in British politics.
More than that, his success — just as Western allies flirt with populism — places him...
From the Right
What will Prime Minister Keir Starmer mean for the US-UK relationship?![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Right AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Right](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-leaning-right.png)
The United Kingdom has a new prime minister in the form of Sir Keir Starmer. His Labour Party secured a majority of around 170 seats in Thursday’s election, giving him significant latitude to make new laws. Starmer is married with two teenage children.
Law is something Starmer knows quite a bit about. Prior to his 2015 entry into Parliament, he was the director of public prosecutions for England and Wales. That put him in charge of all criminal prosecutions. Earning respect for his willingness to pursue cases against corrupt politicians from different parties, including Labour,...
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