Who is new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer?

For many, the UK's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer is something of an unknown, but the 61-year-old has had 10 Downing Street in his sights since taking over leadership of the opposition Labour party in 2020.   

Starmer succeeded the more left-leaning Jeremy Corbyn, who quit following Labour's crushing 2019 general election defeat, its worst performance in 80 years. 

Since then, Starmer has reformed Labour into a more centrist party.  Some critics have accused him of abandoning Labour's traditional socialist principles and values and purging the party of left-wing members, charges he denies. 

His ruthless focus on pursuing Conservative voters in his bid to gain power even included throwing Corbyn out of the parliamentary Labour party in a row over antisemitism. 

Starmer has focused on issues such as economic growth and national security,  areas traditionally dominated by the right-wing Conservatives.

"Wealth creation is our number one priority. Growth is our core business," Starmer said on June 13 as he unveiled Labour's manifesto, insisting the aspirations of working people could not be met without it.  

Critics have tried to paint him as a member of London's elite and say he lacks charisma. But his supporters insist the UK has grown tired of simplistic slogans and wants change. Starmer's biographer says he's the most working class Prime Minister in a generation.

"He's not about showmanship and charisma, he doesn't do that," Tom Baldwin, author of the recently published 'Keir Starmer: The Biography' told CGTN Europe. Baldwin said Starmer "doesn't like that about politics, he doesn't want to make his family part of his brand, he just wants to get on and change stuff."

Seeking to bring their candidate to life, Labour campaign videos show Starmer talking about his childhood in a modest home in Surrey, the eldest of four children. He attended the local state school and has spoken publicly about his family's economic hardship.  

Starmer told viewers: "When I was growing up, we didn't have much. Mum was a nurse and Dad was a toolmaker and when she was ill, times were tough. I remember what it was like not to pay bills, I remember when the phone was cut off." It was a message he reinforced so much during the campaign that memes of Starmer telling anyone he came into contact with that his father was a toolmaker have proliferated. 

Starmer studied law at Leeds University before becoming a lawyer specializing in human rights, working his way up to the post of Director of Public Prosecutions, the third most senior public prosecutor in England and Wales.  He was knighted for services to law and criminal justice in 2014, becoming Sir Keir Starmer. 

A year later, aged 52, he turned to politics, winning the north London parliamentary seat of Holborn and St Pancras.  After serving in shadow minister roles, including three-and-a-half years in the thorny role of Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, he became party leader in April 2020. 

Foreign Policy

While the domestic agenda dominated the election, one of Starmer's biggest challenges is the conflict in Gaza, with many Labour voters accusing the party of not support the Palestinians enough.  

Many believe Starmer will be more open to building bridges with the EU. He campaigned against Brexit, the UK's 2020 exit from the bloc.

On China, the Labour manifesto has promised a long-term plan to manage relations saying: "We will cooperate where we can, compete where we need to and challenge where we must."

"He's a pragmatist, who wants to be a reliable ally to our allies," added biographer Baldwin. "What I think you will see is Britain back as a player for the West. For quite a long time we've been retreating as a country, and I think Keir Starmer is quite keen to rebuild our status as a country."

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday