Red Flag : The Uneasy Advance of Sir Keir Starmer

In this fully revised and updated edition of his 2021 biography of Starmer, Michael Ashcroft traces how he went from schoolboy socialist to radical lawyer and Director of Public Prosecutions before - aged 52 - becoming an MP, then Labour leader and now the occupant of Number 10.

Sir KeirStarmer made the leap from Leader of the Opposition to Prime Minister in onlyfour years, one of just a handful of politicians to have done so since 1945. Yetthe landslide majority that Labour secured under him in July 2024 has beendescribed as 'loveless' and his first months in Downing Street wereovershadowed by rows and controversies, turning what should have been apolitical honeymoon into a period of sustained turbulence. In this fullyrevised and updated edition of his 2021 biography, Michael Ashcroft traces how Starmerwent from schoolboy socialist to radical lawyer and Director of Public Prosecutionsbefore - aged fifty-two - becoming an MP, then Labour leader and ultimately theoccupant of No. 10. Revealingpreviously unknown details which help to explain what makes Starmer tick, this carefulexamination of Britain's first Labour Prime Minister for fourteen years offersvoters the chance to assess his character and his political instincts. Havingturned his party into an election-winning machine, his goal is to transformBritain into one of the most progressive states in the world. Does he have whatit takes to succeed?