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Original poster

How does Kier Starmer do it?!

165 replies

sausageupanalley · 02/03/2025 09:35

I am a similar age to him and am constantly knackered and am just utterly impressed by how the politicians such as Kier Starmer do it?!

Just looking at his last few days, on Weds/Thurs he flew to America and back for possibly one of the most important meetings there has been for the UK in a very long time. Then he flies back and meets Zelensky on Saturday which after what happened in the oval office was also an unbelievably diplomatically sensitive meeting. Then today he's just been on the Laura Kunsberg show and has left and is about to go and meet/host a meeting for European leaders!
He must be having to hold all sorts of other high level diplomatic discussions in between as well as keeping up to date on other briefings and then not to mention getting some sleep, if possible with all that going on and trying to see his family too. I have so much respect for it as it must be unbelievably stressful and tiring. I know your legacy would be part of history but they don't get paid that much, just wondering how on earth they do it!

OP posts:
CarmelaBrunella · 02/03/2025 18:23

abracadabra1980 · 02/03/2025 18:01

Who is VZ?

Show quote history

Vlodomir Zelensky (sp?)

abracadabra1980 · 02/03/2025 18:01

Gastheif · 02/03/2025 12:00

Absolutely hate to say it because I admire him greatly and hated to see him treated as he was but I couldn’t help but wonder if VZ was on something. I watched it back and he is doing a lot of sniffing up and did seem a little hyper 😬

Who is VZ?

SmugglersHaunt · 02/03/2025 17:54

I didn’t vote Labour but I’ve been really impressed by him in the last week. I can’t think of any of our other (many) recent PMs that could pull off this v tricky balancing act

logicisall · 02/03/2025 17:41

His emphatic support for Ukraine after the meeting was very impressive in both content and delivery. A coalition of the willing is a very diplomatic way of describing things.

Vatsallfolks · 02/03/2025 17:32

I'm fucking impressed with our Prime Minister.. an actual grown adult human being in charge.. AT LAST !!

Original poster
sausageupanalley · 02/03/2025 17:31

Jacinda Ardern, sorry

OP posts:
CarmelaBrunella · 02/03/2025 17:30

sausageupanalley · 02/03/2025 17:29

It makes me remember Jacinta Ahearn as well. She famously stood down partly because of the pressures of the job and the conflict with raising a family and fair play to her.
The last couple of weeks in Europe have been something else though, unprecedented other than the run up to the other 2 World Wars unfortunately, but I do feel quite calm that we have Kier at the helm I have to say.

Me too. I'm just so glad it wasn't any of his predecessors since 2010.

Original poster
sausageupanalley · 02/03/2025 17:29

It makes me remember Jacinta Ahearn as well. She famously stood down partly because of the pressures of the job and the conflict with raising a family and fair play to her.
The last couple of weeks in Europe have been something else though, unprecedented other than the run up to the other 2 World Wars unfortunately, but I do feel quite calm that we have Kier at the helm I have to say.

OP posts:
godmum56 · 02/03/2025 17:03

nongnangning · 02/03/2025 13:26

Appreciate this post is against the grain of the thread.

But this idea of "he must be exhausted" is not quite right IME.
Senior politicians/business leaders etc like KS - of whatever political party - "live to work".

PMs LOVE jetting around the world etc. They will tell you privately that "this is very tiring, I don't want to see another hotel room again for a long time". But this is a bit disingenuous - because actually it's them having a feeling of being "in the thick of it" which keeps them getting up in the morning. They like being the one taking the big decisions, believe me, and find it very stimulating, even if it gives them grey hair.
Not having to do any housework is also helpful but this factor above is also an important one.

I think you are kind of right. My late husband had a high powered high pressure job that wasn't political. He was open about loving the job and what he achieved globally (international company) and could do the back to back meetings and flights, get off planes and go straight into negotiations....go for days on very little sleep and so on. He didn't love the jetting and the hotels but yes the big decisions and achievements, the satisfaction of a huge job done well against huge risks, absolutely.

BurntBroccoli · 02/03/2025 16:56

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 02/03/2025 15:05

I’ve just made a quiche and had to have a lie down.

I know - plucking up the energy to make a Dahl!

upinaballoon · 02/03/2025 16:54

MrsFezziwig · 02/03/2025 15:42

Well, watching the scenes of demonstrators against Vance when he arrived at the ski resort, he’s not having as much of a break as he thought he would.

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Yes, I read this afternoon, on BBC text, that there have been some demos in the USA. Not huge, I expect, but quite nice to know that JDV had to shift resort. I've got to a point where I don't know if I can trust anything anyone says/reports, but if you've seen it on a screen and it didn't look staged, I'll believe it. 😀

AquaPeer · 02/03/2025 16:05

OP I think this everyday,, totally agree

CarmelaBrunella · 02/03/2025 16:01

Gastheif · 02/03/2025 15:57

I know! I wasn’t even slagging him off and in his position I’d do whatever got me through. It was merely an observation and idle wondering. I bloody love the guy.

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You were idly wondering if Zekensky was drugged up at his Oval Office meeting? Really?
Just a random thought?

Gastheif · 02/03/2025 15:57

Vodkamartini3olives · 02/03/2025 15:22

@Gastheif - you seem to have missed the memo. There can be nothing but positive words & complete support for absolutely everything he does/ doesn't do. Any small deviation from this = Russian bot.

I know! I wasn’t even slagging him off and in his position I’d do whatever got me through. It was merely an observation and idle wondering. I bloody love the guy.

MrsFezziwig · 02/03/2025 15:42

Movinghouseatlast · 02/03/2025 13:16

And meanwhile Trump is in Florida and Vance has gone skiing.

Well, watching the scenes of demonstrators against Vance when he arrived at the ski resort, he’s not having as much of a break as he thought he would.

Summerhillsquare · 02/03/2025 15:39

CarmelaBrunella · 02/03/2025 10:26

Starmer makes time for his family. Friday evenings, for example are sacrosanct.
He is a very capable man, he was a Human Rights Barrister for many years, he understands contracts, treaties and international relations. He is also very well read. He appears somewhat dull, which I rather like. It means he's not grandstanding. It's not about his status and ego.
I think sometimes people want a flashy leader or someone who provides soundbites. It's not a way to lead a nation.

Timing wise thank god he is like this. Imagine if we had Johnson still!

SwedishEdith · 02/03/2025 15:24

I've always found this fascinating. Hasn't Ursula von der Leyen got 7 children? You can't outsource pregnancy and childbirth too much. For women in particular, there's the added pressure to look groomed and be subtly made up. I'd be interested to read accounts from the kids of those in high office and what it was like for them.

I agree they clearly thrive on it and must be a type. Must be really hard to step off as well. Looking at Olaf Scholz - wonder what he's thinking knowing he's just lost?

Vodkamartini3olives · 02/03/2025 15:22

@Gastheif - you seem to have missed the memo. There can be nothing but positive words & complete support for absolutely everything he does/ doesn't do. Any small deviation from this = Russian bot.

Sinkintotheswamp · 02/03/2025 15:10

Downing Street certainly deserves a cook. Or at least one of the Parliament catering team to whizz something over at silly o'clock. They can hardly whizz into M&S food for something at 10pm.

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 02/03/2025 15:05

I’ve just made a quiche and had to have a lie down.

fashionqueen0123 · 02/03/2025 15:03

RedToothBrush · 02/03/2025 10:44

I'm guessing it's easier when you almost certainly have a full sized bed on the plane.

Ha true! If it was me I’d have to say I was jet lagged from New York and couldn’t possibly make meetings for a good couple of days 🤣

wizzywig · 02/03/2025 15:00

ButterCrackers · 02/03/2025 11:57

No caring duties and everything done for him. He’s not up all night looking after kids, seniors, others needing 24/7 care. He doesn’t have to shop, cook, clear up, drive his family around etc. He has enough cash to not be living day to day. His travel is all organised with comfort - he’s not in a queue for hours, he can sleep on the plane. All the luxuries that give him time and energy.

I'm not a David Cameron fan at all. But one thing I took my hat off to him was that he said he still did overnight sleeps when his son Ivan was in hospital.

ParrotParty · 02/03/2025 14:59

CarmelaBrunella · 02/03/2025 12:44

Also, I've no idea what Trump meant by "Biden gave you sheets, I gave you spears" what sheets? I'd be thrown and English is my 1st language!

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Yeah I still don't know what the sheets was referencing to? Paper maybe?

Edit - I've just looked it up and he meant blankets referring to the non lethal aid biden gave apparently

StrongandNorthern · 02/03/2025 14:52

StepawayfromtheLindors · 02/03/2025 10:14

Because he doesn’t have to iron his suits, make his own cup of tea, take the garden waste to the tip, fix a broken window, drive in rush hour to take kids to activities, find something he has mislaid, call a plumber, sit listening on hold to his energy company for 25 minutes, change a nappy, go to ikea, drive himself home after a red eye flight from America………….

This.

Beesandhoney123 · 02/03/2025 14:44

I expect somewhere he misses doing everyday stuff. Some of it anyway.
He wanted the job!

Tony Blair looked like shit because he was a war mongering slimeball. Still is, presumably.

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