Kmflett's Blog

Keir Starmer Holborn & St Pancras MP 2015-2026. Where it started

The leaflet is via Ken Muller on FB.

Starmer became the Labour candidate for Holborn and St Pancras in December 2014 and was elected as an MP in May 2015 at the General Election of that year. Following the leadership election where Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader (Starmer backed Andy Burnham) he took up a Shadow Ministerial role in September 2015. He resigned in the failed attempt to oust Corbyn as leader but resumed a Shadow role where he stayed until Labour lost the 2019 Election. By early 2020 he had become Labour leader himself and in 2024 he became Prime Minister.

At one level its an impressive trajectory but it underlines that Starmer has never been just a back bench MP focused on his Constituency. Its perhaps no surprise then that he has decided to resign rather than take up that role. The timing of his resignation has something of the Morgan McSweeney about it. Perhaps their paths will cross again.

Meanwhile in the short period between when he became a candidate and when he was elected Starmer spoke at a Camden Palestine Solidarity meeting in March 2015. The platform line up consisted of well known principled left-wingers of whom perhaps Starmer was thought to be one

Perhaps his biggest U-Turn as PM was to allow Britain to be complicit with what Israel has done and is still doing in Gaza. Even allowing for Britain’s recognition of Palestine in 2025 it reflected a politician who arguably had not strayed from his Constituency roots but never really had them or wanted them.