Keir Starmer Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
(CNN) — Here is a look at the life of Keir Starmer, prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Personal
Birth date: September 2, 1962
Birth place: London, England
Birth name: Keir Rodney Starmer
Father: Rodney Starmer, toolmaker
Mother: Josephine (Baker) Starmer, nurse
Marriage: Victoria (Alexander) Starmer (2007-present)
Children: A son and daughter
Education: University of Leeds, first class degree in law, 1985; University of Oxford, Bachelor of Civil Law, 1986
Religion: Atheist
Other Facts
Was reportedly named after Keir Hardie, the first Labour leader in parliament.
Starmer’s mother was diagnosed at a young age with Still’s disease, a rare inflammatory disorder that eventually left her unable to walk, eat or talk.
Served as human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board following the Good Friday Agreement, a 1998 peace deal that brought an end to decades of sectarian violence on the island of Ireland known as “the Troubles.”
Timeline
1987 – Becomes a barrister at the Middle Temple.
April 9, 2002 – Appointed Queen’s Counsel.
2008-2013 – Director of Public Prosecutions, running the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales.
2014 – Is awarded a knighthood from Charles, then-Prince of Wales.
May 7, 2015 – Elected a Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras.
April 4, 2020 – Elected leader of the Labour Party, replacing Jeremy Corbyn.
July 4, 2024 – The Labour Party wins Britain’s general election by a landslide, ending a 14-year era of Conservative rule.
July 5, 2024 – Officially becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom.
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