Victoria Starmer

Victoria, Lady Starmer (; born 1973 or 1974), is a British occupational health administrator and former solicitor. She is the wife of Keir Starmer, who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020.

Born in London, she studied law and sociology at Cardiff University, where she was president of the student union. She has been a supporter of the Labour Party since at least her student years. After qualifying as a solicitor, she worked at the law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, focusing on cases related to street crime. She later moved into occupational health, working within the National Health Service (NHS).

Starmer married her husband, Keir Starmer, in 2007. The couple have two children. After her husband became prime minister, it was reported that Starmer was expected to keep a relatively low profile, and will reportedly continue in her role at the NHS.

Early life and career

Starmer was born Victoria Alexander in either 1973 or 1974 in London. Along with an elder sister, she was raised in Gospel Oak, London. Her father, Bernard, an economics lecturer and chartered accountant, was born in 1929 to a Polish-Jewish family that emigrated to the United Kingdom prior to the Second World War while her mother, Barbara (died 2020), was a community doctor in the National Health Service who converted to Judaism upon marriage.

Alexander was educated at Channing School in Highgate, London, and later studied law and sociology from Cardiff University, where she served as president of the student union. After graduating from university, Alexander qualified as a solicitor and worked for the law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, specialising in street crime. At some point after her marriage, she stopped practising law and began working as an occupational health worker for the NHS.

Personal life

Alexander met Keir Starmer, then a senior barrister with Doughty Street Chambers, while working on the same case. The pair became engaged in 2004 and married on 6 May 2007 on the Fennes Estate, just north of Bocking, Essex.

The couple have two children: a son (born 2008) and a daughter (born 2010); both are being brought up in their mother's Jewish heritage and culture. The family observe Shabbat and are members of the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in north London.

Starmer is a vegetarian. Until moving to 10 Downing Street, the family resided in Kentish Town, north London.

Starmer has supported the Labour Party since at least her student days, notably protesting Conservative education reforms as Cardiff University's education and welfare officer in 1993. Despite this, she kept a relatively low profile during the 2024 general election, choosing not to appear on the campaign trail. She did, however, make appearances at Labour events and state banquets which were held during the campaign.

Starmer ministry

Following Labour's landslide victory in the 2024 general election, Starmer accompanied her husband to Buckingham Palace for his appointment as prime minister by King Charles III, succeeding outgoing Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak. She subsequently accompanied her husband to 10 Downing Street, where he made his first speech as PM. She will reportedly continue in her role at the NHS, and is expected to keep a relatively low profile.

''The Daily Telegraph'' reported in September 2024 that Starmer had accepted two free tickets to attend an Eras Tour concert by the American singer Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium earlier that year. In the same month, her husband faced accusations of breaking parliamentary rules by not declaring £5,000 worth of clothes bought for her by the Labour donor Waheed Alli, Baron Alli. The donations, which included a personal shopper and clothing alterations, were said to have occurred both before and after the general election.

In April 2025, Starmer attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City alongside her husband.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Starmer, Victoria
Date of birth missing (living people)
Living people
1970s births
20th-century English Jews
20th-century English lawyers
21st-century English Jews
21st-century English lawyers
Alumni of Cardiff University
English health professionals
English people of Polish-Jewish descent
English solicitors
Labour Party (UK) people
Lawyers from London
National Health Service people
Occupational health practitioners
People educated at Channing School
People from Kentish Town
Spouses of prime ministers of the United Kingdom
Victoria
Wives of knights