Loosen up that lawyer brain say Keir Starmer critics
Politico
LONDON — Brits sent for a lawyer at last year’s general election. Now they’re finding out there may be hidden costs.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s record as the country’s former top prosecutor gave him a sharp point of contrast with the chaotic — and often scandal-prone — Tories he replaced in the 2024 landslide that swept Labour to power.
But in office, his much-hyped reputation as “Mr Rules” is coming back to bite him.
Starmer entered politics relatively late in life, after a distinguished career as one of the country’s top lawyers which culminated in a job as the director of public prosecutions.
During years of Conservative melodrama, Starmer’s legal credentials were held up as an asset. He would provide seriousness and probity after a period of chaos, the theory went.
Since entering No. 10, his legal background and his methodical approach to political problems are being talked about as an Achilles’ heel at a time of rising populism at home and abroad.
