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Keir Starmer was elected Saturday as the new leader of the U.K.'s opposition Labour Party, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters, per Axios' David Lawler: Starmer’s election brings an end to Labour’s hard-left turn under Corbyn, putting a less radical and perhaps more electable face on the opposition to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The state of play: Starmer's election comes as the U.K. battles the coronavirus outbreak, meaning he will struggle for visibility as the pandemic dominates the news, the Times notes.
- Starmer, 57, won against Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy. He worked as a human rights barrister, director of public prosecutions and head of the crown prosecution service, per Politico.