What do we really know about Keir Starmer?

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Institute for Government

News, Government, Politics

4.5 • 278 Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2024

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tom Baldwin joins the Inside Briefing team on the day his long-awaited biography of Keir Starmer is published. So what does the book reveal about the man who wants to be the next prime minister? How did Starmer’s upbringing – and his complicated relationship with his father – shape the politician he became? Do the book’s revelations give us a sense of what will define the general election showdown between Starmer and Rishi Sunak? And can political biographies affect how people think about politicians – and will this one answer the questions ask about the Labour leader? Plus: Lee Anderson is making headlines and political parties are accusing each other of Islamophobia and antisemitism. So why is the use of divisive political language getting worse – and what can be done it about it? And: Does it matter if Jeremy Hunt uses the Budget to say he has met his fiscal rules? A new IfG report accuses politicians of gaming the rules with “worse than fiction” spending plans. Its author joins the podcast to explain the problem – and set out a solution. Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon, Tim Durrant and Olly Bartrum. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Inside Briefing, the podcast from the Institute for Government. I'm Hannah White.
0:15.6	So just who is the real Kirstama? With Labor enjoying a double-digit poll lead and a general election less than a year
0:21.9	away, there's a good chance that Kirstama, the leader of the Labour Party since 2020, will be the
0:26.8	next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Of course, a week is a long time in politics and a lot could
0:31.9	happen between now and election day, whenever that is. But right now, Kirstama is in poll position,
0:37.2	so it's probably worth
0:38.5	everyone understanding a little bit more about him, why he wants to become Prime Minister,
0:42.9	and what would drive him if he were to win the keys to number 10? Well, today, the first
0:47.4	Kirstama biography hits the shelves. It also joins us in the studio. This week has given us a picture,
0:53.1	and not a very welcome one, to be honest,
0:55.0	of how the weeks and months ahead of that election could look. Lee Anderson has dominated the news,
0:59.8	but he isn't the only politician to be reaching for divisive language right now. We'll look at
1:03.8	why this is happening and where it might go. And it's less than a week to go until the budget.
1:08.2	We can expect Jeremy Hunt to proudly claim that he has
1:11.0	met his fiscal rules. But a new IFG paper says the Chancellor will only get there through gaming
1:16.4	those rules and coming up with fictional spending plans. We'll speak to its author. Joining me
1:21.7	today is my IFG colleague and reader of countless political biographies, Kath Haddon. Hi,
1:26.3	Kath Haddon. Hi, Kath. Hi, Hannah. I'm joined by Tim Durant, who leads ourdon. Hi, Kaff. Hi, Hannah. I'm joined by
1:28.5	Tim Duren, who leads our ministers program. Hi, Tim. Hi, Hannah. And I'm delighted that we're joined
1:33.1	by Tom Baldwin, the author of Kirstama, the biography. Hi, Tom. Hello. Thank you so much for
1:38.0	joining us. The reviews have been landing over the last week. How is Public publication day feeling? The views have been very good and I walked past my small
1:44.9	independent bookshop this morning. Small, small crowd gathering and excitement at the chance of
	...

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