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The Guardian - UK

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Anushka Asthana

After a year studying Starmer, I can tell you that he is at once a very kind man and a ruthless one

Sir Keir Starmer Rachel Reeves Morgan McSweeney Anushka Asthana Jeremy Corbyn Neil Kinnock Tony Blair

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves take a selfie with staff during a visit to the Sir Ludwig Guttman Health & Wellbeing centre on 3 July 2025. — Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves take a selfie with staff during a visit to the Sir Ludwig Guttman Health & Wellbeing centre on 3 July 2025. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Ask friends of Keir Starmer what they make of him and one of the first things they will say is that he can be incredibly kind. I’ve heard it time and again.

The former Labour leader Neil Kinnock described how Starmer was among the first to turn up on his doorstep after he lost his beloved wife, Glenys. “You don’t have time for this; you’ve got a party to lead,” Kinnock told him.

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