Sir Keir Starmer: Top lawyer whose 'Mr Rules' approach failed to connect with the public
Few politicians have experienced a more dramatic decline than Sir Keir Starmer.
Less than two years ago, he celebrated a landslide general election victory and appeared poised to dominate British politics for years ahead.
Now, he has been ousted from power by his own party and, instead of delivering the "decade of national renewal" he promised, he is considering a return to the back benches.
In an emotional resignation speech delivered at a lectern outside his Downing Street front door, he stated that his party had asked "whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election."
"I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace."
The scale of Labour's 2024 victory places Sir Keir in rare company—only two previous Labour leaders, Tony Blair and Clement Attlee, secured elections with three-figure parliamentary majorities.
However, this was achieved on a historically low share of the national vote, and Sir Keir's popularity with the electorate plummeted within weeks of his arrival at Downing Street, following a series of missteps and policy reversals, from which he never fully recovered.
His tenure as Labour's shortest-serving prime minister will be a difficult legacy to accept.
A promise to restore trust in politics
Sir Keir Starmer was an atypical Labour leader. He entered politics late, becoming an MP in his 50s after a distinguished legal career.
Unlike many predecessors, he had not spent decades developing political skills or building alliances. His political positioning was often unclear.
He considered this lack of political baggage a strength, once asserting that there would never be a "Starmerism." However, critics within his party felt he lacked a clear ideology and was not adept at politics.
He presented himself as a sensible, pragmatic leader who would always act in the national interest—a serious man for serious times. His procedural, methodical style earned him the nickname "Mr Rules" from his Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
Opponents argued he lacked the communication skills to effectively convey Labour's message. In an era dominated by authenticity and emotion, he often appeared stiff and wooden.
In his 2024 election victory speech outside 10 Downing Street, Sir Keir pledged to restore trust in politics and guide the country to "calmer waters."
He signaled a break from what he described as the chaos and sleaze of Conservative years, vowing to "restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, t lightly on your lives and unite our country."
Why did Keir Starmer resign and what could happen next?
Follow live updates: Starmer resigns as Burnham confirms he will run
Sir Keir Starmer's premiership in six charts
Sir Keir won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election
However, what followed was one of the shortest honeymoon periods in British political history.
The new prime minister and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, began their tenure warning that the economic challenges inherited from the Conservatives were more severe than anticipated, necessitating tax increases.
Sir Keir later acknowledged this was a mistake and that voters should have been offered more hope.
The government's July 2024 decision to cut winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners marked the beginning of a steep decline in Sir Keir's personal ratings, according to pollsters.
Political strategist John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, told the Financial Times:
"You get one chance to make a first impression. People looked at that and thought 'Now you've told us who you are'. Anger has curdled into contempt."
Sir Keir reversed the winter fuel payments cut in May last year, by which time he had established a pattern of policy reversals unpopular with the public and his increasingly rebellious MPs.
The most common criticism was that Sir Keir lacked a clear sense of purpose and was uncertain about his objectives in power.
This persisted despite multiple relaunches and the introduction of "missions" and "milestones" aimed at achieving a fairer, more prosperous Britain.
In speeches and interviews, he expressed a strong commitment to social justice and cited his humble origins as shaping his political beliefs.
In his first speech as prime minister outside 10 Downing Street, Sir Keir, pictured with his wife Victoria, promised to return the country to "calmer waters"
Working-class roots
Born in Oxted, Surrey, Sir Keir was named after Keir Hardie, the Labour Party's first leader, by his Labour-supporting parents.
In September 2022, while still in opposition, he told the BBC:
"My dad worked in a factory and my mum worked as a nurse, and I actually do know what it is like to sit around the kitchen table not being able to pay your bills.
"I remember our utilities, our phone being cut off because we couldn't pay the bill, so I know what is going through people's minds."
References to his father being a toolmaker became a recurring theme in his speeches, but he also spoke movingly about his mother, who suffered from Still's Disease, a rare inflammatory arthritis that eventually left her unable to walk or eat.
His parents, Rodney and Josephine, joined him on graduation day at Leeds University...
... where he studied law (pictured here lying on the floor with his flatmates during his student years)
He excelled academically, becoming the first in his family to attend university, studying law at Leeds University and later at Oxford.
He pursued a distinguished career as a human rights lawyer. Opponents noted he defended some of society's worst offenders, yet he was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions in 2008, overseeing thousands of criminal prosecutions weekly across England and Wales.
He was later knighted for his service.
It was through his work he met his wife, Victoria, who now works in NHS occupational health.
The couple married in 2007 and have two children.
He entered politics at age 52, elected in 2015 to the safe Labour seat of Holborn and St Pancras in north London.
Uneasy political relationship
His first frontbench role was shadow immigration minister under Jeremy Corbyn.
He was among many shadow ministers who resigned after the 2016 Brexit referendum in an attempt to remove Corbyn.
In his resignation letter, Sir Keir—who supported Remain—called the referendum result "catastrophic for the UK" and argued a new leader was needed to address Brexit.
When Corbyn survived the leadership challenge, Sir Keir returned as shadow Brexit secretary.
While others refused to serve under Corbyn, Sir Keir returned as his shadow Brexit secretary
After Corbyn resigned following the 2019 general election defeat, Sir Keir won the leadership contest to replace him.
He initially won party members with a left-wing platform including pledges to renationalise water and scrap university tuition fees.
Almost all these promises were abandoned upon taking office, with Sir Keir arguing Labour's policies must be affordable to regain voter trust.
From triumph to turmoil, Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership unraveled—from Labour’s historic 2024 landslide to fatal miscalculations and internal revolt forcing his exit.
He later expelled Corbyn from the party for downplaying antisemitism under Corbyn's leadership and barred him from standing as a Labour candidate.
Sir Keir initially struggled to make an impact as Labour leader, winning the contest during a Covid lockdown and delivering his victory speech via video from an empty room.
His lowest point in opposition came after the 2021 Hartlepool by-election, when the former Labour stronghold fell to the Conservatives for the first time.
He seriously considered resigning but was persuaded by aides and his wife to remain.
Chris Ward, a former close aide, told biographer Tom Baldwin:
"Keir kept saying that he felt he would have to go, that the result showed the party was going backwards and he saw it as a personal rejection. I told him it was far too soon for that kind of thing, but it was a rocky few hours."
Sir Keir reportedly told friends:
"I'm not fulfilling some lifelong dream here. I could happily work in the bookshop or something."
Early months in power
Labour's fortunes began to improve soon after.
Public anger over Downing Street parties during the pandemic and economic turmoil following Liz Truss's mini-Budget boosted Labour's poll ratings.
In the 2024 general election, Sir Keir's strategy of abandoning Corbyn-era policies and prioritising economic stability proved successful.
An internal power struggle between Sue Gray and her successor Morgan McSweeney caused tension in Labour's early months.
He campaigned on the slogan "change," emphasizing his steady, competent leadership and high moral standards.
However, the sheen of his clean image faded quickly.
Three months into his premiership, he repaid over £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality, including Taylor Swift tickets.
Though within rules, reports of ministers accepting expensive gifts from wealthy donors were poorly received.
The controversy contributed to the resignation of chief of staff Sue Gray, tasked with preparing Labour for government and delivering priorities.
Gray's critics blamed her for early dysfunction, and her resignation also stemmed from conflict with Morgan McSweeney, who had masterminded Labour's 2024 election win.
Unlikely friendship with Trump
Internationally, Sir Keir earned praise for his diplomacy.
He developed an unlikely friendship with US President Donald Trump and played a leading role among European nations in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
However, his frequent foreign trips led critics to nickname him "never here Keir."
The UK-US special relationship became strained after Sir Keir declined to engage in conflict with Iran, though polls indicated public support for his stance.
Sir Keir met Donald Trump in Washington one month into his second term
Domestically, he faced doctors' strikes and rising migrant crossings of the Channel.
Despite prioritizing economic growth, it remained sluggish amid the effects of wars in Ukraine and Iran, exacerbating cost-of-living pressures.
These challenges and government missteps were exploited by Reform UK, which overtook Labour in polls in spring 2025 and maintained its lead.
In May last year, Nigel Farage's party achieved electoral success at Labour's expense, winning control of councils, mayoralties, and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
The Mandelson mess
Sir Keir's leadership faced increasing criticism as his personal poll ratings hit record lows.
In autumn, the government was shaken by the sacking of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador over links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner for underpaying tax on a flat purchase.
Speculation about a leadership challenge grew, though allies insisted Sir Keir would resist any attempts to remove him.
The Mandelson appointment controversy reignited after US-released Epstein Files revealed deeper connections between Mandelson and Epstein.
Sir Keir Starmer sacked Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US in September
The scandal led to the resignation of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who had advocated for Mandelson's appointment despite Epstein links being public.
This episode marked the beginning of Sir Keir's downfall.
Public anger intensified when it emerged Mandelson received security clearance despite vetting concerns.
Though Sir Keir was unaware until April, accusations arose that he misled Parliament by claiming "full due process" was followed.
The saga raised questions about Sir Keir's control over Downing Street and his judgment in appointing Mandelson.
Though he remained in office for several weeks, his authority waned.
Some polls suggested he was the most unpopular prime minister in British history.
Sir Keir and his team struggled to understand his unpopularity, though polling expert Sir John Curtice noted the public never embraced him, even before the 2024 election.
"Sir Keir Starmer has never been a popular leader," Curtice said.
Labour MP Jonathan Hinder told The Times:
"The sense you pick up from conversations with voters is that Keir simultaneously doesn't stand for anything and yet is incredibly sanctimonious, his style embodying the HR proceduralism that people can't stand from their workplace."
Election results in May—Labour losing power in Wales, its worst Scottish Parliament result, and nearly 1,500 council seats lost in England—were the final straw for many MPs.
Over 100 MPs publicly called for his resignation, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting quit, criticizing the government's "drift" and lack of "vision."
Sir Keir faced a number of backbench rebellions during his premiership
Sir Keir resisted, promising bolder action and asserting the country was improving under his leadership, citing NHS waiting list reductions and decreases in legal migration and small boat crossings.
He announced plans to ban social media for under-16s, aiming for a political legacy, and highlighted initiatives like expanded free breakfast clubs to address cost of living.
He cautioned against plunging the country into chaos via a leadership contest.
However, Streeting openly campaigned to replace him, and Defence Secretary John Healey resigned over defence spending plans.
The return of Andy Burnham to Westminster proved decisive.
Burnham, a long-time leadership contender, won the Makerfield by-election to re-enter Parliament and challenge for Labour leadership.
His decisive defeat of Reform UK in an area recently won by Farage's party convinced many Labour MPs he was the preferred leader for the next general election.
In his resignation speech, Sir Keir did not name Burnham but announced a leadership contest would follow, with potential candidates yet to emerge.
At the lectern outside his front door, he said:
"Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life."
His brief address showed little bitterness as he recounted his achievements in his characteristic dry style and pledged full support to his successor.
Near the end, rare emotion surfaced:
"When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife, Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad, and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy."
for our ...
