Sir Keir Starmer Attends Funeral of Sir Desmond Rea
Sir Keir Starmer was present at the funeral held in Belfast for Sir Desmond Rea, the inaugural chairman of the Policing Board.
The prime minister developed a friendship with Sir Desmond during his tenure as a human rights adviser to the board in the 2000s. According to Sir Keir, they maintained regular contact ever since.
The funeral service in south Belfast was attended by several notable figures including Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly, and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.
Other attendees included former SDLP leader Mark Durkan, former DUP MP Ian Paisley, and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.
Addressing those gathered, Sir Keir expressed his profound respect for Sir Desmond, describing him as a distinguished academic who held numerous prominent positions across public, private, and voluntary sectors throughout his extensive career.
He said his life had been "touched and changed" by his friendship with Sir Desmond.
In his eulogy, Sir Nigel Hamilton, former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, highlighted Sir Desmond's bravery in engaging with people and visiting places others might have avoided.
Sir Desmond Rea was knighted in 2004 in recognition of his contributions to policing.
