Keir Starmer is Boris Johnson’s new opponent – but could he lead a United Kingdom?
- Keir Starmer replaced Jeremy Corbyn last month as leader of a Labour Party that has been out of office for a decade
- The ex-human rights lawyer has challenged PM Boris Johnson on the UK government’s response to virus crisis
With Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, as the new leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, UK politics in the era of social distancing at the House of Commons resembles a courtroom drama.
Devoid of the customary jeering from back and frontbench ministers nodding dutifully, over the past couple of weeks Boris Johnson has sometimes more resembled a lonely defendant in the dock than a prime minister in charge.
“Starmer’s [Prime Minister’s Questions] performances haven’t necessarily terrified the Tories – they think he’ll find things more difficult when all the MPs are back in person,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London. “But he’s definitely unnerved them.”
At last Wednesday’s parliamentary question time, the 57-year-old lawyer asked why government advice to care homes up to March 12 was that they were at minimal risk from Covid-19. Johnson denied it was.
Starmer, then held up a printed version of the original communication, saying the contagion in care homes, where thousands of people have since died from Covid-19, was “highly unlikely”.
“I’m surprised the prime minister questions the advice of his own government until the 12th of March?” he said calmly.