Labour have won the General Election with a resounding victory, which means Keir Starmer is the UK’s new Prime Minister. As they settle into their new life over the next few weeks, what role will his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, play? It appears to be the question on everyone's minds as 'Kier Starmer wife' trends on Google with questions ranging from 'How old is Victoria Starmer' to 'Who are Victoria Starmer's parents?'
Perhaps the intrigue is down to the fact we rarely see Victoria at Keir's side, although she was once his win was announced this morning. Refreshingly absent from the public eye, Victoria even chose not to attend Labour's manifesto launch in June.
'She's extremely supportive of Keir behind the scenes and fiercely proud of him,' one of her circle told Grazia for a recent profile. 'She's the person whose opinion he trusts the most - she's very smart. She's lovely, really fun, but she's also very protective of her family's privacy.'
According to a recent interview with Keir - who rarely opens up about his family life - that's because she was focused on her own career, as well as supporting their son.
Speaking about Victoria's lack of public appearances on LBC, Keir said, 'Vic does quite a bit with me, but during this campaign [there's] two things: One, she is working at the NHS in a hospital. Two, and I don’t make a lot of this, is our boy has been doing his GCSEs and therefore we took the decision that whilst I was out and about on the road, we wanted to create the environment where he could study calmly in ordinary circumstances.'
Never missing an opportunity to gush about his wife, Keir also said during a recent interview with The Times that Victoria - who could become the next 'First Lady' - has no intention of giving up her full-time job in occupational health if Labour wins the election on 4 July. 'She's absolutely going to carry on working, she wants to and she loves it. It's also good for me because it gives me an insight into the NHS,' he said.
In an interview with Grazia, Keir gave a rare inside glimpse into Victoria Starmer's private life. 'She is very grounded, is Vic. She’s sassy. She’s gorgeous, but she’s absolutely rooted,' he said. He added that, if he were to win in the 2024 General Election, 'She will continue with her job in the NHS. She loves it.’
So, if you're officially intrigued, here's everything you need to know about the new First Lady in Britain...
Who is Lady Victoria Starmer?
Described by The Times as a 'cool north London mum', Victoria Starmer is London born-and-bred. She grew up in Gospel Oak, North London, just a stone's throw away from where she now lives with Keir.
Victoria was born to a Polish-Jewish father, with her mother working as a community doctor. Like Keir, Victoria started out her career as a solicitor, before serving as a governor at her children’s school. She currently works in occupational health for the NHS.
She made her first appearance as the then-new Labour leader’s wife in 2020, when she was filmed clapping for the NHS outside their home in Camden. Since then, however, her public appearances have been few and far between.
Since Keir Starmer became leader of the Labour Party in 2020, Victoria has only made a handful of public appearances with her husband. The couple were pictured at a polling station earlier this year, at a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace last November and shared a kiss at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool last year. She has also attended several other events with Keir, including the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley Stadium, a candlelit vigil for the murdered Sarah Everard, the Wimbledon women’s singles semi-finals on Centre Court and of course Taylor Swift's Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium.
How did Lady Victoria Starmer and Keir Starmer meet?
The pair met when they were working as lawyers in the early noughties. While Keir was practising as a barrister at Doughty Street chambers, Victoria Alexander - as she was then known - was asked to draw up documents for a case he was working on.
During his appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2021, Keir recalled the moment he met his future wife. 'I was doing a case in court and it all depended on whether the documents were accurate. I [asked my colleagues] who actually drew up these documents, they said a woman called Victoria, so I said let’s get her on the line,’ he said, continuing that he heard her mutter ‘Who the f*** does he think he is?’ after he quizzed her about the papers concerned. 'And quite right too,' he added.
Things worked out for the best, though, after Keir asked Victoria on a date to the Lord Stanley pub in Camden, which was the start of their relationship. The pair got married at the Fennes Estate in Essex in 2007 after he proposed while on holiday in Greece. 'Won't we need a ring, Keir?' she told him.
In a recent interview with Sky News, Keir revealed that Victoria urged him to stay away from politics. 'My wife was ringing adverts in the papers about well-paid lawyers jobs and I said "no, I want to serve my country," which is why, at a late stage, I came into politics to serve my country,' he said.
What does Lady Victoria Starmer do for work?
While she previously worked as a solicitor in London, Victoria Starmer now works in occupational health for the NHS in Camden. 'She loves working for the NHS. She loves the team that she's working with,' Keir has said. Victoria is able to walk to work as an occupational therapist at a hospital, near their home in Kentish Town.
Keir also previously revealed that his wife was an important sounding board for his political ideas thanks to her experience in the NHS. 'I get a direct line of sight on a daily basis into the challenges of the NHS and the morale of the staff,' he told the Sunday Mirror.
Although we don't have any more info about Victoria Starmer's specific job, according to NHS England, occupational therapists 'help people who have difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities because of a disability, illness, trauma, ageing, and a range of long-term conditions.' In other words, Victoria's day to day job could see her helping someone adapt to life after major surgery, assisting people with learning disabilities or mental illness with everyday activities such as work or volunteering, or making sure elderly people have the adaptations the need in their homes, such as access showers and stair lifts.
We don't know how much Victoria Starmer earns, but according to Gov UK, the typical salary for an Occupational Therapist ranges from £28,000 to £50,000 a year depending on experience.
What will Lady Victoria Starmer be like as the UK's First Lady?
'Vic is lovely but private and she likes it that way,' a friend revealed of Victoria, who's known as Vic or Vicky to her inner circle. Another said, 'She is very down to earth, smart and hard-working.'
While she's not involved in the day-to-day political issues, Vic is the one that Keir calls before he makes any big decision. 'She’s a streetwise, grounded, brilliant, gorgeous woman who wants as far as she can to get on with her own life and protect it,' Keir told the Sunday Mirror.
When it comes to the privacy of their children, Keir and Victoria are on the same page in terms of wanting to keep them out of the spotlight. But is there anything they bicker about? ‘Not a lot,’ Keir says. ‘We work things through together. We don’t really bicker. I’m not saying there’s never a cross word. I don’t think that’s believable.'
What religion is Lady Victoria Starmer?
Victoria Starmer is Jewish and a member of Londons Liberal Jewish Synagogue, in St. John’s Wood. She is the daughter of a Polish-Jewish father, and a mother who converted to the faith.
While Keir himself is from an atheist background, he has previously revealed that the couple's two children are also being raised in the Jewish faith. He told the Jewish Chronicle in 2021, 'As you probably know, my wife‘s family is Jewish. On her father’s side, there are bar mitzvahs, synagogues – there’s all the traditions.'
He has also said that their children 'recognise the faith as part of their grandfather’s family, and it’s very important.'
Do Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer have any children?
The couple have two children together, a 15-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. Like Victoria, the couple’s children are being raised in the Jewish faith. The family all live together in a £1.75 million townhouse in Camden, North London.
Keir has opened up in the past about the family's regular Friday night dinners, where his wife’s family come round to their home for supper. ‘It is about just being with the family. It’s about being a bit more disciplined, about being home with our children and the family — they are growing up fast,’ he said.
In the lead up to the election, Keir caused a buzz after appearing to reveal his plans to still keep Friday evenings free if he becomes Prime Minster.
He told Virgin Radio that he 'will not do a work-related thing after 6 o'clock, pretty well come what may' on a Friday night.
'Now there are a few exceptions, but that's what we do. My son goes kick-boxing and so I often take him there. My daughter goes swimming and cheerleading now, so I have been so see her in cheerleading competitions.'
When asked if this meant he would 'ringfence' that time, Keir answered, 'Yeah, and I want to. Because one, I'm a dad and I love them. They're my pride and joy and I don't want to lose that time. Two, I don't believe in the theory you're a better decision-maker if you don't allow space to be a dad and have fun for your kids. Actually, it helps me. It takes me away from the pressure. It relaxes me.'
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