Apr 4, 2020 - World

Keir Starmer elected to lead U.K. Labour Party

Rashaan Ayesh

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.

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Keir Starmer elected to lead U.K. Labour Party

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