If you’ve been away from the news cycle for a bit, you might still be picturing Rishi Sunak or maybe even one of the many short-lived leaders from that chaotic stretch of Tory rule. But things have settled—or at least changed. The Prime Minister of Britain is Sir Keir Starmer.
He’s been in the top job since July 5, 2024. That was the day the Labour Party basically steamrolled the Conservatives in a massive landslide victory, ending 14 years of Tory government. It wasn’t just a win; it was a total map-rewrite.
The guy at the desk
Honestly, Starmer isn't your typical career politician. He didn't spend his twenties working as a researcher in Westminster. Before he ever thought about running for Parliament, he was a human rights lawyer. Then he became the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). That’s why he’s a "Sir"—he was knighted for services to criminal justice long before he led the country.
He’s 63 now, and as we sit here in January 2026, he’s hitting that difficult mid-term slump that hits every leader. You’ve probably seen the polls. They aren't as pretty as they were in 2024.
The honeymoon is long over.
Who is the Prime Minister of Britain and what is he doing now?
Right now, Starmer is trying to prove that his "missions" weren't just campaign slogans. When he took over, he promised to "smash the gangs" (referring to illegal migration) and "fix the NHS."
In 2026, the reality is a bit messy.
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Wait times in hospitals are a massive headache. The economy is growing, sure, but it’s slow. Kinda like watching paint dry in a damp room. He recently did an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg—his first big one of 2026—where he basically said, "I’m not going anywhere."
He’s betting everything on 2026 being the "turning point" where people actually start feeling more money in their pockets.
The Competition
It’s not like he’s running a one-man show. The political landscape has shifted around him. The Conservatives, now led by Kemi Badenoch, are breathing down his neck. According to recent YouGov data from early January 2026, the public is pretty much split 28% to 28% on who would make a better PM between Starmer and Badenoch.
Then you've got Nigel Farage and Reform UK. They’re still a thorn in his side, especially on issues like immigration and "British values." Starmer has to play a weird balancing act: keep the left wing of his party happy while not scaring off the centrist voters who gave him that 174-seat majority back in '24.
Why the PM's role is different in 2026
The world is a lot more dangerous than it was a few years ago. Starmer has spent much of this month (January 2026) meeting with world leaders. He just met with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to talk about the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Britain's role on the global stage is basically trying to be the "adult in the room" after years of what many saw as Brexit-related drama. Starmer is trying to rebuild ties with Europe without actually rejoining the EU. It's a bit like trying to be friends with an ex while living in the same apartment building—awkward, but necessary.
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Life at Number 10
Living at 10 Downing Street isn't all fancy dinners. Starmer is known for being a bit of a workaholic. He’s a massive Arsenal fan, and he still tries to get to games when the security detail allows it. He’s married to Victoria Starmer, who works in the NHS, which gives him a bit of a "real world" connection that some of his predecessors lacked.
But the pressure is immense. 2025 was a rough year for him. Growth was sluggish. The public got grumpy.
In his New Year’s address for 2026, he admitted that life is still "harder than it should be" for most people. That’s a pretty bold admission for a Prime Minister. Usually, they try to sunshine-and-rainbows everything.
What you should watch for next
If you're following UK politics, the next few months are going to be a grind. Watch the local elections. They usually happen in May, and they’ll be the first real test of whether the public has actually forgiven Labour for the slow start.
There are three big things that will determine if Starmer stays popular:
Energy bills are the big one. If people feel like they’re being fleeced every time they turn on the heater, they’ll blame the person at the top. Starmer’s "Great British Energy" project is supposed to fix this, but these things take years, not weeks.
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The NHS waitlists. This is the "holy grail" of British politics. If he can't get those numbers down, his majority won't mean much at the next election.
Stability. After the years of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, Starmer’s biggest selling point was being "boring but competent." But if the competence part slips, "boring" just becomes an insult.
Actionable Insight for Voters and Observers
If you want to stay informed about what the Prime Minister is actually doing, stop looking at the 24-hour news tickers for five minutes and check the Hansard records. It’s the official transcript of everything said in Parliament. It’s where the real policy debates happen, away from the Twitter (or X) noise.
You can also keep an eye on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports. They release the hard data on inflation and growth. If the ONS says the economy is flat, no amount of "turning point" speeches from Downing Street will change the reality on the ground.
The bottom line? Keir Starmer is the man in charge, but the "change" he promised in 2024 is still very much a work in progress. 2026 is the year we'll find out if his "slow and steady" approach actually wins the race or if he’s just stalling.
Check the official GOV.UK website for the latest cabinet reshuffles or policy white papers if you need the nitty-gritty details on new laws. The UK government changes faster than you'd think, even when the person at the top stays the same.