The most regular criticism of Keir Starmer is that he is a ‘political robot’, more boring than former PM John Major or, horror of horrors, even Theresa May.
He was accused of it by an audience member during a live TV debate just the other day.
And the moment that enlivened the dreary election campaign was when Starmer was asked in a Sky interview what he most feared.
‘The only thing that keeps me up at night is worrying about my children,’ he said. Such is his desire for privacy that he has never even uttered the names of his two children — a son, nearly 16, and daughter, 13 — in public.
And, he is almost never seen with his glamorous wife of two decades, Victoria, a former lawyer who works in the NHS.
A glamorous, successful, working wife, Lady Starmer – pictured with Keir – not publicly appearing to support her husband as he’s on the cusp of becoming Prime Minister is, to say the least, unusual
There was a rare sighting of the couple together during local elections in May but so far, ‘Lady Vic’ as she is known affectionately in Labour Party circles, has been absent from the General Election campaign. Which, as a seasoned political observer I find very, very odd. Fighting the 2001 election as the then Tory leader William Hague’s head of media, I was thrilled his beautiful wife Ffion was always with us, even though we knew we would be trounced.
She added zest, appeal and bolstered our cause.
So why is Victoria not there? Friends say it’s because she is determined she will not become a plus-one political wife. Starmer himself said she had not wanted him to be a politician.
But he is one and a glamorous, successful, working wife not publicly appearing to support her husband as he’s on the cusp of becoming Prime Minister is, to say the least, unusual.
Especially when just a few pictures of them together would make him more human.
As one Labour MP said: ‘The trouble with him is he doesn’t have the charisma for campaigning. He could really do with his wife telling people about the real Keir.’
Another Labourite added: ‘The public is still largely in the dark about her. Come what may, the spotlight will be on her as her husband stands on the precipice of power. Lady Starmer’s time in the shadows is surely reaching an end.’
Healing of grief
On the first anniversary of the murder of Barnaby Webber, 19, who died alongside his friend Grace O’Malley-Kumar, also 19, at the hands of schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, his mother Emma says her biggest fear is that their deaths will forever ‘define all of us’ — meaning herself, her husband and her younger son.
‘I want to one day say that I feel happy or that I think I can have joy again,’ she explains.
As would all who have suffered such an unimaginable loss. Time doesn’t heal, it just makes the pain and anguish endurable.
How the nation will rejoice seeing Kate again at Trooping the Colour today, her first royal event since her cancer diagnosis. One note of concern. She says she’s ‘not out of the woods yet’, she’s still going through chemo, and there are ‘good days and bad days’ — so I just hope she’s appearing on her terms, not ours. Whatever the case, what a trouper!
If only Kate had jumped ship
Kate and Leo in scene at the bow of the ship in 1997 movie behemoth Titanic
Despite Titanic winning 11 Oscars and catapulting Kate Winslet to stardom, she says shooting the iconic love scene where she hovers at the bow of the doomed ship, arms outstretched, kissing Leonardo DiCaprio, was a ‘nightmare’ as she had to do her own hair and make-up.
All that angst could have been prevented if she had just jumped off with Leo there and then.
At least we viewers would have been spared DiCaprio’s death scene, which went on for ever as he went a stranger and stranger shade of blue before slipping beneath the briny.
The PR battle between TV’s Ruth Langsford and estranged husband Eamonn Holmes continues, as she reveals she found messages on his computer from another woman. Seeing pictures of Eamonn shuffling on a walking frame, one doubts he is capable of any relationship — elicit or not.
Nude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham new men’s campaign for underwear brand Skims
Much excitement for England’s chances in Euro 2024. They kick off against Serbia tomorrow. Yet the build-up has been dominated not by photos of hero captain Harry Kane but snaps of Jude Bellingham, 20, in, er, eye-wateringly skimpy undies. David Beckham was famous as Goldenballs, but I’m lost for words when it comes to Jude.
Swiftie mania has taken over the UK, yet I can’t get why billionaire Taylor Swift is hailed as some kind of feminist icon when all she does is deride men, writing cruel songs about ex-boyfriends with titles like The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived. Crikey, Taylor, shake it off and give blokes a break!
Taylor Swift in concert at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh earlier this month
Westminster wars
- Hearing Rishi Sunak vow to lower taxes, rescue the NHS and slash migration in the election campaign makes us loyal Tories feel as if we’ve been in an abusive marriage during his time in No 10. Sorry, but his broken promises have left us heading for the divorce courts.
- Sunak says his family scrimped and saved to pay for his private education, and they were so hard-up they never had Sky TV. Sky started in 1993 and cost £84 a year. Not much of a dent in the family income compared to his time at Winchester College, which now charges £45,000 annually.
- For all of us wondering how we will vote, the Left-wing Guardian newspaper declares Labour’s Keir Starmer is vowing to fix Britain ‘amid doubts over how he will pay for it’. We all know the answer to that, even without a Left-wing think-tank declaring it will be ‘a parliament of tax rises’.
And Starmer’s cherished ‘working people’ will be hit first!
Childminder Karen Foster, 62, is jailed for 12 years after fatally shaking to death a nine-month-old boy, an incident she tried to cover up claiming he ‘suddenly collapsed’. What is more troubling: that a childminder shakes a baby to death; that she lies about it; or that she will probably be freed halfway through her punishment while his parents endure a life sentence?
- A survey reveals almost half of last year’s 250 highest grossing movies had no sexual content.
Now, films are just full of ghouls and post-apocalyptic scenarios with people eating each other.
Oh for the days when eroticism entranced us. The sexiest movie I’ve seen is Unfaithful, where Olivier Martinez seduces Diane Lane.
And, yes, I am showing my age.
The long-awaited consummation of the love affair between Bridgerton’s Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) gets mixed reviews, with one critic labelling it Fifty Shades of Cringe. I concur. While the stars boast that they broke the chaise lounge upon which the ravishing took place, I just wanted to break my TV.
Love all? It’s all love for Andy
The All England Lawn Tennis Club has plans in place if our two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray announces his retirement at the tournament this year.
Murray has been the best of British, fighting injury and competing when others would have retired long ago. There won’t be a dry eye in Centre Court if he chooses this moment to exit with the greatest of dignity.
The King’s portrait was defaced by animal rights activists Daniel Juniper, 29, and Ben Thomas, 22. How stupid can they be? Despite years of derision for his vision, Charles is a passionate animal welfare campaigner and the most eco-friendly royal to wear the crown.