I didn’t know his mother suffered from a terribly debilitating illness for years and years, had her legs amputated, was bed bound and in the end couldn’t speak at all. She died two weeks before he became an MP. If anybody knows the NHS it's Starmer.
His father was a toolmaker who thought people looked down on him, didn’t value skilled workers (how true that is) and was a lifelong socialist. He was quite a distant person and only ever once told his son he was proud of him - that was on passing the 11-plus. He wouldn’t allow a television in the house, until Kier was in his late teens and then only because his wife was doing an Open University course! Kier was only allowed to watch Match of the day. Nonetheless, he loved and respected his father.
Morgan teased Starmer about his middle name, which is Rodney after his dad, but he hates it and wouldn’t even allow it on his wedding certificate. His wife said she was still 'reeling' from discovering it while sitting in the audience!
He went to grammar school then on to Oxford and the bar where he specialised in human rights law. He became a QC in 2002 and DPP in 2008. He founded the Doughty Street chambers where Amal Clooney now practices.
Growing up, the family lived in a semi-detached council house and were very ordinary. His parents rescued donkeys and later, when he was able, he bought the field behind their house and built a shed in the garden so they could watch the donkeys. After his mother died in 2015, his father spent a lot of time in the ‘shed’ and had all his personal stuff inside.
When he too became ill and was rushed to hospital, the shed suffered an electrical fault, caught fire and everything was destroyed, including the family dog which was especially shocking. We have a dog and I can't imagine what that must have been like. His father died in hospital without being told.
When he was awarded a knighthood, his parents took the family dog to Buckingham Palace because they didn’t want to leave him at home.
Starmer didn’t meet and get married to his wife Vicky until he was in his forties. He plays football at the weekend and is said to be a hard, midfield general.
He was said to possess a steely determination and a good sense of humour, something he will need as leader of the Labour party. He appeared to be modest, self deprecating, diligent and hard working. He answered every question in a straightforward manner - except one about whether he took drugs at Leeds University. Strange how drug taking is now seen as a pre-requisite to being accepted as a politician,
As far as I know nobody has ever questioned his honesty or integrity or his fidelity.
In other words, he is obvious prime minister material yet trailing badly in the polls. Working people seem to prefer the lazy, over privileged, over entitled, Eton educated liar and dishonest, serial adulterer Johnson. If he is re-elected in 2023 or 2024 it will signal as Max Hastings once said, that we have ceased to be a serious country.
The pandemic has prevented Starmer travelling around the country and giving speeches and listening to voters concerns, something I hadn’t thought about before. Covid has been just as difficult for him as opposition leader as it has for Johnson. So, maybe Starmer can pull something out of the bag yet. Let us hope so.
Tim Martin
In one of the more outlandish interventions post Brexit, Tim Martin, the CEO of Weatherspoons, has a piece in The Telegraph calling for a “liberal immigration system.“ Martin was among the more prominent Brexiteers if you remember and was frequently on the TV advocating it.
Martin now says the Government should introduce a visa system to alleviate some of the pressures on companies, suggesting that "countries geographically closer to the UK could be given preferential treatment."
This comes as pub and restaurant owners warn that a shortage of workers is forcing them to shut sites during the crucial lunchtime trade.
Martin said: “The UK has a low birth rate. A reasonably liberal immigration system controlled by those we have elected, as distinct from the EU system, would be a plus for the economy and the country. America, Australia and Singapore have benefitted for many decades from this approach. Immigration combined with democracy works."
Now he can’t get the staff to run his pubs and he wants more immigrants!
Lord Moylan, as usual, defended the stupidity by saying more immigration is ok as long as it’s controlled by British ministers. I am not sure that will go down well among the racists who supported Brexit to stop immigration. If the numbers don't come down substantially, I can imagine it being a serious issue in some areas.
Now that we are back in control of our immigration policies, everyone is much more relaxed about actual levels of immigration.Why do so many EU advocates find it difficult to understand this inherently democratic phenomenon? https://t.co/ugkObwcOxR— Lord Moylan (@danielmgmoylan) June 1, 2021
But I think it's more complicated than that, when ministers “control” who comes here you will get embroiled in a costly and time consuming bureaucratic treadmill which will put off the people you want to attract. The ones who are prepared to jump through the hoops are the ones most desperate and perhaps not the best.
And if Martin gets his way, ministers are going to have to get used to defending net immigration of 300,000+ a year and it may not be that easy. Last year 313,000 more people came to the UK than left, according to the ONS.
Cameron's pledge to get it down to "tens of thousands" has never been close to being achieved.
