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Keir Starmer is a difficult person to understand. Even though he has taken a clear stance on controversial issues like Gaza and VAT on private school fees, focus groups still have trouble pinpointing his beliefs. There is a certain quality about him that is hard to grasp. His background, which will be constantly discussed leading up to the election, sheds some light on this. His father was an emotionally distant toolmaker and his mother suffered from a painful form of arthritis. They raised their four children on a tight budget in a modest home, which gives some context to his character. However, his retelling of this story often comes off as stiff, leaving many wondering if there is more to him than meets the eye. A candid and revealing account of this private man, who is currently on track to become the country’s leader, is long overdue.

Tom Baldwin, who used to work as a journalist but now acts as a spin doctor, makes it clear that this is not an officially approved biography. However, it also doesn’t seem completely unauthorized. Baldwin was initially brought on board to assist the Labour leader with a memoir that he had been convinced to write in 2022, when he was still struggling to gain popularity against Boris Johnson. A year later, with much better ratings in the polls, Starmer withdrew from a publishing agreement that he had never been fully enthusiastic about. Instead, he agreed to cooperate with Baldwin’s idea for a more traditional biography.

This book provides a comprehensive look into the life of Starmer, with input from his friends, family, ex-girlfriends, and wife Vic, as well as his influential strategist, Morgan McSweeney. The author was able to observe everything from shadow cabinet meetings to family breakfasts in Starmer’s kitchen. This offers readers a unique and intimate perspective on Britain’s potential future prime minister and is crucial in understanding his character. However, the author acknowledges that those expecting sensational details will be disappointed, as the book accurately reflects its subject: cautious, subtle, not likely to cause a stir, but fully capable of achieving its intended purpose.

According to his biographer, Starmer’s political beliefs may seem less defined compared to other politicians because he did not enter politics in the traditional sense. He pursued a career in law before entering Westminster later in life and could easily leave it all behind to work in a bookstore if things did not go well. His biographer, Baldwin, reveals that Starmer has even thought about resigning twice, once over issues of antisemitism within the Labour Party during the Corbyn era and again after the party suffered a devastating defeat in the Hartlepool by-election.

He campaigned to become the leader with a clearly stated left-leaning platform, but then switched to a more centrist one. Baldwin presents this as a practical rather than cunning move: Starmer is hesitant to align himself with any particular faction within the Labour party and seems to have a lack of political savvy, leading him to struggle to understand why his opinions may not resonate emotionally with others. Baldwin notes that there is a certain naivety about Starmer, similar to Jeremy Corbyn, but this is balanced by a strong drive to succeed, making him more comparable to Rishi Sunak.

The overall picture that emerges is that of a leader who is determined to do whatever is necessary, but at times relies on receiving guidance from highly politically aware advisors. Particularly noteworthy sections discuss Starmer’s recent political stances and McSweeney’s influence on the development of Labour’s strategy.

Unless there is a particularly scandalous event hidden in Starmer’s past, the biographer has not uncovered it. However, it may come as a shock to some that in his youth, while living in a budget-friendly apartment above a brothel, he offered sincere legal advice to the young women living downstairs. The author Baldwin does not reveal any incriminating evidence during Starmer’s tenure as director of public prosecutions. In fact, contrary to allegations made by some Conservatives, his track record at the CPS shows a dedicated effort in prosecuting sexual abuse cases that were previously deemed too challenging.

Baldwin’s perspective on tensions within the shadow cabinet may be surprising to some readers. There were rumors of a strained relationship between Baldwin and deputy leader Angela Rayner, which resulted in a failed attempt to reshuffle her. However, it seems that things have improved since then. There were also reported conflicts with shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband over green policies. Despite previously working for Miliband while he was leader, Baldwin describes their current relationship as friendly and supportive. Another notable incident was when Starmer received love from Labour members but anger from his then boss Jeremy Corbyn’s office for including an unauthorized line in his 2018 party conference speech as shadow Brexit secretary. Baldwin, who was working for the People’s Vote campaign at the time, notes that Starmer claimed to be simply trying to solve a problem by sticking to the agreed-upon line between the leader and pro-remain activists to avoid a public disagreement over Brexit. However, if Starmer genuinely believed this would calm the situation, he is at least guilty of being overly naive.

It is uncommon for the reader to witness a moment of genuine frustration, such as when Starmer recalls intently listening to a parliamentary discussion on Brexit, only to notice Corbyn deeply engrossed in a week-old report about a little-known parliamentary discussion on cycleways.

Perhaps the most illuminating part of the book for anyone still struggling to get a sense of Starmer personally covers his relationship with his younger brother Nick, who has had lifelong learning difficulties. The fierce protectiveness he appears to feel for his siblings, none of whom move in the same rarefied circles as their knight-of-the-realm brother, and some of whom have struggled financially, seems key to his character and politics – but key also perhaps to that feeling that he is always holding something back. Unlike his parents, they are still alive, vulnerable to intrusion.

As a child, Nick’s siblings would often get into physical altercations at school to protect him from bullies. As an adult, his politician brother acknowledges that Nick has faced significant challenges in his life, which cannot be summed up by cliched phrases about social advancement and breaking through barriers. This experience may have taught the Labour leader about the struggles of marginalized individuals. Despite Keir being the “golden boy” who excelled in grammar school and university, their father reminded him that he should not consider himself more successful than Nick, who had to overcome additional obstacles. Baldwin suggests that this serves as a reminder that the simplistic narratives of working-class individuals achieving success often overlook the complexities of their experiences, particularly for those who are vulnerable and left behind within upwardly mobile families. If Keir Starmer continues to defy easy categorization, it may be due to our own difficulty in understanding his multifaceted background and perspective, rather than a flaw on his part.

Source: theguardian.com