Who is Victoria Starmer? Meet Britain’s new First Lady

She has mostly stayed out of the limelight.

Alongside her husband Sir Keir, Lady Victoria Starmer will soon be moving in to No 10 Downing Street, following Labour’s historic 2024 election victory.

While the incoming-Prime Minister has long been in the public eye – happily discussing his family life and toolmaker father – and will now be even moreso, his wife has typically shied away from the limelight and has never done an interview with press.

In the lead up to the election, the two occasions that Victoria was seen in public was at a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium (iconic) and an election rally in June.

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And according to Keir, this isn’t set to change. He’s also expressed how keen he is to protect his home life now that he is Prime Minister. Speaking to Chris Evans on Virgin Radio on July 1, he said: ‘We’ve had a structure in place that I try to keep to, which is to carve out really protected time for the kids.

‘So on a Friday – I’ve been doing this for years – I will not do a work-related thing after six o’clock, pretty well come what may.

‘Now there are a few exceptions, but that’s what we do.’

In a separate interview with the Table Manners podcast back in 2023, he also stated: ‘I don’t believe in the theory that you’re a better decision-maker if you don’t allow yourself the space to be a dad.’

But, as Britain’s new First Lady, there has been some debate over how much information and access the public are entitled to.

Even Labour insiders have reportedly shunned her lack of involvement on the campaign trail, saying, ‘She’s quite sassy in that she’s quite unbothered by what he’s doing.’ They have also nicknamed her the ‘reluctant First Lady.’

In spite of her enigmatic nature, there are a few tidbits of information that we have gleaned. Here’s what we know about Keir Starmer’s wife, Lady Victoria Starmer.

Who is Lady Victoria Starmer?

Career in law and the NHS

Just like Keir, Victoria started out in law. She is a qualified solicitor and the pair actually met while working on the same case.

Apparently, after demanding to speak to the person responsible for some court documents to check their accuracy, Keir was forwarded to Victoria, whom he proceeded to call.

Victoria (or ‘Vic’, as Keir fondly refers to her as) then accidentally exclaimed, ‘Who the f*ck does he think he is?’ while still connected.

Despite the gaffe, Victoria clearly managed to win Keir over, as the pair later married in 2007.

Now, Victoria works for the NHS in occupational health – a role she will maintain now that her husband has been elected.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Keir said that Victoria loves her job and that it gives him ‘a direct line of sight on a daily basis into the challenges of the NHS and the morale of the staff.’

Early life

Raised in the affluent North London neighbourhood of Gospel oak, Victoria attended the local primary school, before her parents enrolled her in the £26,500-year all-girls Channing School, located in Highgate.

She later studied law and sociology at Cardiff University, where she assumed the role of education and welfare officer in 1993.

Following her battle against then-Tory education secretary John Patten, she managed to become the university’s student union president – securing 1,153 votes.

‘The three words on my ballot were “Make My Day”. Thank you Cardiff for doing it,’ she reportedly said of her victory.

Once back in London, Victoria volunteered at Tony Blair’s campaign headquarters.

Family life

Together with their two children, a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, Keir and Victoria live in the North West London borough of Camden, in his constituency of Holborn and St Pancras. Their home is estimated to be worth £1.75million.

Victoria’s father is a practicing Jew and both children are being raised in the Jewish faith. The children are also both vegetarian.

The minors have never been publicly named.

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