Keir Starmer: The Reluctant Politician

by Nigel Cawthorne

When Keir Starmer won the Labour Party Leadership election in April 2020, the exception was that he would quickly become a fierce Leader of the Opposition. Instead, his performance was not as sure-footed as his supporters had hoped for, or his opponents feared. Nigel Cawthorne attended Starmer's grammar school a few years before him (and David Walliams). He goes in search of the man behind the headlines, the Lawyer who was covered for almost three decades by a gown and horsehair wig in one of Britain's most cloistered professions.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2021

About the author

Nigel Cawthorne is an Anglo-American writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor. He has written more than 80 books on a wide range of subjects and has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph Daily Mail and The New York Times. He has appeared on television and BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Many of Nigel Cawthorne's books are compilations of popular history, without footnotes, references or bibliographies. His own web site refers to a description of his home as a "book-writing factory" and says, "More than half my books were commissioned by publishers and packagers for a flat fee or for a for a reduced royalty".

One of his most notable works was Taking Back My Name, an autobiography of Ike Turner, with whom he spent a number of weeks working with him on, taking up residence in Turner's house. The book caused much controversy, resulting in court cases for three years following its release.

Cawthorne currently lives in Bloomsbury, London with his girlfriend and son, Colin (born 1982).

Reviews

[David Highton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best biography I could have chosen, but read on the day Starmer becomes UK Prime Minister