How incoming prime minister Keir Starmer 'fell in love' with Leeds during years living and studying in city

Those were the words of incoming prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, as he spoke with students at the University of Leeds last year about his time living in the city in the 1980s.

Sir Keir is now set to take the keys for 10 Downing Street after leading his Labour party to a historic election victory.

It will be the first time that the University of Leeds will boast a member of its alumni as the country’s leader.

Becoming the UK’s 58th Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer graduated from Leeds in 1985 with a degree in Law. He went on to become a barrister, and in 2008 was named the UK’s Director of Public Prosecutions. Sir Keir was knighted in the New Year Honours list in 2014. Elected MP for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015, he became Leader of the Labour Party five years later.

During his career, Sir Keir has maintained close links with the University and credits Leeds with playing an important role in his success.

He said the city “absolutely formed me and changed my life” during a visit to campus last October.

“The three years here was something that went deep in my bones, and I’ve carried that bit of Leeds with me ever since.”

Sir Keir returned to campus to open the School of Law in 2011 and received an honorary degree in 2012. He sat on the advisory board for the School of Law from 2018 until 2022, and in 2020 took part in a Q&A session with students following in his footsteps at the School.

In an interview with the University’s Leeds Magazine in 2023, Keir discussed how his three years at university - during which he lived in Hyde Park - influenced his career, and completely changed his life.

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He said that he “rocked up” to the city in 1982 “with fairly long hair, a Boomtown Rats album under one arm, and Status Quo under the other”. He said that he went to countless gigs in the city - including seeing The Smiths - and was greatly influenced by the academics.

The lawyer-turned-politician explained that his career ambitions evolved from his determination to change things for the better.

“If things are really going to change, the only place that’s big enough for that change is politics. In the end, the only meaningful change would come through politics.”