SINCE Sir Keir Starmer took over as Labor leader, viewers have often wondered if he is a “Sir”.
Being knighted is one of the most prestigious titles awarded in Britain and is awarded by the monarchy.
Why is Keir Starmer a sir?
The Labor leader’s official title is Sir Keir Starmer, but he prefers people not to use it.
He told the Ham and Alto newspaper that “never liked titles”.
Starmer said: “When I was DPP everyone called me director and I said, ‘Please don’t call me director, call me Keir Starmer’.
“It’s a very similar battle now.”
The politician is a lord because of the knighthood, which he received for “services to the legal profession and criminal justice”.
He was Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) until 2013.
All of Sir Keir’s predecessors in his role as DPP were also knighted.
When did he get his knighthood?
Keir Starmer was knighted at Buckingham Palace in 2014.
At the time, the self-described socialist had just resigned as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) by the Attorney General.
The DPP is the head of the CPS – meaning Starmer was responsible for around 7,000 staff and around 800,000 court cases a year.
He held the position for five years, between 2008 and 2013.
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Why was Keir Starmer awarded a knighthood?
Starmer was knighted for “services to the law and criminal justice”.
Over the course of his illustrious legal career, he worked on several important cases, the biggest of which included:
Stephen Lawrence
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Sir Keir was director of public prosecutions when two of Stephen Lawrence’s killers were brought to justice.
The 18-year-old was killed on April 22, 1993, after being attacked by a gang of white men in a racist attack.
He was waiting for the bus with a friend when the gang attacked them.
Speaking at a memorial service to mark 30 years since Stephen was killed, Sir Keir
gave a speech in memory of the teenager.
The politician said that, “in contrast to the worst side of Britain, Stephen represented the best”, and that he “represented a life that shone with the light of potential”.
Ian Tomlinson
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Starmer was also responsible for the prosecution of a Metropolitan police officer following the death of newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson.
He died at the G20 protests in London on 1 April 2009.
The court heard how he was hit with a bat and thrown to the ground. PC Simon Harwood said he had no intention of pushing him.
Although he was cleared of manslaughter, Pc Harwood was found guilty of serious misconduct by a Metropolitan Police disciplinary panel and dismissed with immediate effect.
Chris Huhne
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In addition to these, Sir Keir sued the Energy Secretary, Chris Huhne, and his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, for perverting the course of justice.
Huhne was the first politician in British history to resign due to criminal charges.
It came after he admitted asking his wife to calculate his points for speeding to avoid losing his driver’s license in 2003.
Huhne served an eight-month prison sentence for the crime.
When are the 2024 general elections?
The key points you need to know about the upcoming UK general election are:
The top date on their agenda is July 4, 2024, when millions of voters will go to the polls for the General Election.
But the process of formally triggering the elections will take place on May 24, 2024, when Parliament is prorogued, marking the end of the parliamentary year.
On May 30, 2024, Parliament will be officially dissolved, meaning that all current MPs will cease to hold office and leave their seats.
A crucial moment will be the release of the parties’ electoral manifestos, where they establish their list of commitments for the government.
After more than a month of campaigning, we go to the polls.
Once the votes are counted, the King asks the leader of the party with the most deputies to become prime minister and form a government.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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