‘Always present, never there’ was the late Sir Denis Thatcher’s description of the optimum way a political spouse should approach a role as prominent as it is unofficial: the prime minister’s other half. It has been variously interpreted since – the quiet presence of Sir Philip May fetching double G&Ts for nervous guests; the rollercoaster ride of ’s social life and political involvements. The last Downing Street chatelaine, heiress Akshata Murty, emerged from a back-up role in Rishi Sunak’s seat to support his election efforts, explaining how ‘aspiration runs through [Sunak’s] DNA’ at the pre-election Conservative Party Conference.
When the Keir era dawned with a landslide last July, Lady Starmer looked thrilled and relaxed in the limelight. The ‘walk up’ to No 10 was pitch-perfect. She wore a pretty orange-red ME+EM dress (at a price-conscious £275), pausing to shake hands and hug her elderly father, beaming in the crowd.
France’s AFP agency grandly noted how ‘many Britons will begin to recognise the face of the elegant 50-year-old brunette who has been married to the head of the Labour government for more than 15 years.’ That is not how things have come to pass. While can confirm that the family have finally finished their move to , with their two teenage children settled into their rooms in the Downing Street flat, most would struggle to recognise our new ‘First Person’.
‘You can spend a lot of time around the Labour Party at high leve.
