Keir Starmer saw the moment it became clear he would become prime minister in the same manner as much of the rest of the country – watching the BBC exit poll on the sofa at a friend’s home with his wife and children.
His close group of friends and advisers – many of whom have been at Starmer’s side since the early days of his leadership – roared at the prediction of a landslide. But Starmer was calm, embracing them all one by one. “It felt like a dream, an out-of-body experience,” said one.
