Keir Starmer’s daughter’s iconic response to discovering out her dad is new PM

Keir Starmer spoke about having the most sleepless nights worrying about the impact any potential Labour win would have on his family, especially his teenage children.

The new Prime Minister spoke infrequently about his private life throughout the election campaign, but when he did, it was about his concerns for their safety and privacy, should voters put their trust in him to lead the country.

But he needn’t have worried: his teenage daughter seems set to pay little heed to what her old dad does during his time in Downing Street.

Keir and his wife Victoria Starmer – he calls her Vic – have two children: a 15-year-old son who has just finished his GCSEs, and a daughter of 13 who insisted she was staying put in their Kentish Town home in North London as she wanted to live near her friends. Neither of their names have been made public as their parents wish for them to lead as normal lives as possible.

On Thursday July 4, the Starmer family were together at a friend’s house to watch the exit poll drop – and share the moment when they all realised Keir would be the next Prime Minister.

Mr Starmer’s biographer Tom Baldwin was with them that evening, and writing for the Observer today revealed the moment Keir and Vic’s daughter learned the news – with typical teenage dismissal.

“Starmer and his wife, Vic, along with their two teenage children, were lined up on the sofa watching the television almost like they were recreating the opening of the cartoon series The Simpsons,” Tom wrote. “They tried to show they were relaxed in this upmarket house Starmer had borrowed from a friend. Their son wore his Arsenal shirt and their daughter, who has told him she has no intention of moving to Downing Street, gave everyone an excuse to laugh for a moment by letting out a long ‘Ewww’ when her dad’s face appeared on the screen.”

As the exit poll revealed Labour was projected to win a landslide with a majority of 170 seats – the actual number is 172 – Keir and Vic shared an “extravagant kiss” before the new Prime Minister-elect reached across the sofa for his daughter. “They embraced for a moment but he jolted into a tighter, protective grip as he realised it was all becoming too much,” Tom revealed.

For a couple of minutes after the exit poll, nobody spoke. Among the dozen or so members of the Starmer team, some hugged each other quietly while others sobbed with a mix of relief and exhaustion. And shortly afterwards the wifi signal dropped out, meaning the TV signal died and nobody could use their phones. “That’s a bit frustrating,” deadpanned Mr Starmer.

As he disappeared upstairs to see if he could get signal, Sue Gray – former Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office and now his chief of staff – shouted up to him that security would take his phone away once he arrived in No.10. “No they won’t!” he called back.

Vic rang her dad, a widower since early 2020 when her mum Barbara died after a freak accident, to tell him to put the news on. “No, I’m not joking!” she could be heard telling him. “It’s out already … yes, we’ve won!”

Eschewing sleep, Keir and Vic headed to his count in Camden to hear the people of Holborn and St Pancras had reelected him with 18,884 votes – a significant cut of 11,572 from 36,641 votes in 2019. They later went to Labour’s celebratory reception at the Tate Modern where the leader gave a victory speech at 5am.

“You campaigned for it. You fought for it. You voted for it. And now it has arrived,” he told supporters to jubilant cheers. “Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest.

“And now we can look forward. Walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.”

He finished: “We said we would turn the page, and we have. Today we start the next chapter. begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country. Thank you.”