Keir Starmer's tears for his father: Labour leader breaks down in tears on Piers Morgan's Life Stories as he talks for first time about three shattering family tragedies - including how his mother died weeks before he was sworn in as an MP.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has given the most 'searingly honest and intensely emotional' interview of his life, in which he reveals how a series of devastating family tragedies shaped him into the man he is today.
How do "a series of devastating family tragedies" shape him into the boring man he is today?
Boring didn't stop John Major winning a record number of votes in 92.
His rival was not seen as much less boring really. Boris vs Sir Keir is one of the biggest disparity’s in personality scores since polling on it began. I think Thatcher vs Foot and Blair vs Hague might just beat it. But the next IPSOS poll is next month
Neither Foot nor Hague were boring. Both were capable of being interesting, thoughtful and amusing. Neither had the looks for television though. Keir does have the looks for television. But he's boring. Not boring as in geeky. Not boring as in dull. Just bereft of any particular interesting features. Like a minor character in a film whose purpose is simply not to detract from the main action.
I have my own opinions, but for this argument I defer to IPSOS-MORIs leader image ratings 1979-2021
Fine Character traits always trumps Personality in GE voting, 2019 fine example. In fact every election has been a fine example.
And employers, like the electorate, should always employ on basis of character than personality.
Based on the song, the performance and the general low regard for us in Europe. Nil points was towards the upper end of my expectations for the U.K. entry.
Every single year the commentators whinge that our song was better than its score. I strongly beg to differ.
Indeed. Bland song, badly sung. Honestly we need to start sending in novelty acts. We're never going to win so let's just send in gimmicks that make the people laugh.
Either that, or we could find a decent song from one of our many more than decent bands.
Nah, a proper band will never go on Eurovision. It's a death knell because the chance of taking it seriously and ending up on 0 because of politics is too high. Novelty acts are where it's at for countries like the UK. Every so often you get something so outrageously funny or on the mark that you end up doing well from it.
100+ member of FIFA have just voted to consider holding the World Cup biennially. That doesn’t make it right.
So, are you saying Palestine shouldn't exist as a state?
Ok. In which case, the people who live there must be Israelis, and therefore should be accorded the same rights as other Israeli citizens.
This is the terrible logic Israel must face
Either it allows Palestinians sovereignty, or it goes the whole hog and becomes an apartheid state, in a single state with lower class Arab citizens (it is already horribly close).
Or it expels all the Palestinians from Palestine, and maybe Israeli Arabs as well
It is hideous choice, but they have made it this way, by insisting on a Jewish state allowing only Jewish immigration and a lesser status for Arabs
Yes. It's an ugly choice.
And expelling millions of people from lands where they were born, who have no other nationality, is nothing less than ethnic cleansing on a massive scale.
Israel's best option was always to have a Palestinian state that was dependent on it. But the settler movement has made a viable Palestinian state a near impossibility.
The settlers are fuckers. A smaller, ethnically homogeneous state, is always preferable to land-grabbing for its own sake.
Based on the song, the performance and the general low regard for us in Europe. Nil points was towards the upper end of my expectations for the U.K. entry.
Every single year the commentators whinge that our song was better than its score. I strongly beg to differ.
Indeed. Bland song, badly sung. Honestly we need to start sending in novelty acts. We're never going to win so let's just send in gimmicks that make the people laugh.
Either that, or we could find a decent song from one of our many more than decent bands.
Based on the song, the performance and the general low regard for us in Europe. Nil points was towards the upper end of my expectations for the U.K. entry.
Every single year the commentators whinge that our song was better than its score. I strongly beg to differ.
Indeed. Bland song, badly sung. Honestly we need to start sending in novelty acts. We're never going to win so let's just send in gimmicks that make the people laugh.
Either that, or we could find a decent song from one of our many more than decent bands.
We could reincarnate the Beatles and we still wouldn't get a point post Brexit
To be fair there's not much regional voting this year (apart from Cyprus).
That’ll kick in for the public vote. It was the reason the jury voting was reintroduced.
None of whom anywhere have given us a single vote..
They hate us.
Slight exaggeration. They resent the supremacy of Anglo-American culture, and the English language. Brexit hasn't helped, tho
Look at it this way, if you had to go on Eurovision and everyone was speaking French, and your judge had to speak French, and the songs were mainly in French, and the comperes spoke French, would you vote for France?
David Herdson on Boris’s 16 point best PM lead in today’s YouGov
“These are dreadful results for Starmer, much worse than last time the gap was this big.
Then, he had much more scope to create an impression with the public. Now, the impression has already been formed and will be much harder to shift - not least because it's probably right.”
Just wait until he does Piers Moron....20 point poll bounce incoming.
That will be a proper bit of ‘can’t watch tv’
Will be interesting to see what ratings it gets. That show has been losing viewership for quite a while now.
Who will watch, other than some of the 24% who like him? If they all did the ratings would be pretty good I suppose, without changing his levels
Political journalists will too. I can’t see what’s so interesting about his life that you’d want to make a show about it. Private School, Uni, more uni, Lawyer, knighthood, unpopular, boring politician. Hardly a rollercoaster.
I was about to say I’m surprised Farage hadn’t done it, but of course he has!
Let go of the hate. If he bounces back you'll need hospital treatment. Don't risk it.
No hate here for man like Sir Keir! If he bounces back, good for him
You fool no-one. Well you probably do, but not me. You have really taken against the guy. He epitomises something for you. Something that gets your goat. It's to do with upward mobility and moral rectitude.
I just don’t think he has what it takes to beat Boris. That’s all I’ve said from the start, nothing malicious. He seems an upright, decent person.
I don’t like him because he was one of the leading voices in trying to stop Brexit, and I think he comes across as really dull. But that goes for lots of people!
If he bounces back I’ll owe you £300 though
That too. Mental anguish PLUS money down. Odds still on your side though. Very much so. But time is on mine.
Kinnock wasn't boring btw. Don't know why you say that. He was Mr Personality vs Grey John Major. And he lost.
But these are different times. Reality TV and social media times. Your pet theory does have some merit. It's not obvious and total bollocks.
So reality TV and social media somehow makes it different than was? These days personality traits matter more than character references?
While we're talking of gayness and music, can I recommend Elton John's "Me", possibly one of the best celebrity autobiographies I have ever read. Up there with William Goldman, David Niven - but better than them
Mind-boggling gossip, and extremely funny. It is also explains why he is possibly the most successful solo star of all time, and his bravery in being Out and gay so early.
He's a dude, the book is superb
That’s been sitting behind my tv cabinet unread, along with Andrew Ridgey’s book, for about 18 months!
Along with every other book I’ve bought in the last three years other than ‘The Great Betrayal’ by Ian Smith, and ‘Treasure Island’
*and ‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle’ which I lent to my Dad
I entreat you to read it. I bet you will be laughing out loud within 10 pages. It is dazzling, and OMFG the stories. Why is it to entertaining to read of someone fucking up everything in a haze of cocaine, booze, and rent boys, possibly involving the Queen Mother? I dunno, but it is. I guess we all love gossip
To be fair it does decline once he goes sober (sober people are just a bit more boring) but even then it is excellent - as against brilliant
It's a world class autobiography, and he has led a life unmatched by any
I will read it... just no time!
Funny you type this just as a wild mate of mine who has been in AA for about ten years is what’s apping that he is struggling
In his mad days he once went into a Romford brass house, off his head on gear and booze, and shagged every one of them, then left his Oyster card, work tools and wallet behind and his long suffering dad had to go pick them up the next day!
As another mate said ‘how I wish I had that lack of self control’!!
As a prodigious musical genius, Elton John is up there with Mozart. He is basically the gay-clown-shoes-wearing Mozart of our time. I never realised the scale of his achievement until I read his book
AND he had sex with 10,000 people and sniffed metric tonnes of coke, and then got properly serious with the booze and strippers, while buying entire villages and chateaux
I salute him
Who would have sex with Elton John?
He's an ugly bugger.
As Blackader put it someone "who was blind, desperate, and hadn't had it in months."
To be fair there's not much regional voting this year (apart from Cyprus).
That’ll kick in for the public vote. It was the reason the jury voting was reintroduced.
None of whom anywhere have given us a single vote..
They hate us.
It's the same as why neutrals always hate the most successful team. The UK is a musical and cultural super power. We dominate their radio stations and TV channels with our media.
We will only win now with a novelty act that captures the memes.
Diana Bashir spilling over into the Sunday papers. Day 5 of this rubbish.
Did he really do anything worse than other journalists of the day? Phone hacking, bribing policemen for stories, searching through rubbish and using freelance paparazzi to harass?
But the BBC is supposed to be different.... that's what they keep telling everybody. And we are forced to pay for it....and its the cover up...they threw the whistleblower under the bus and the top management at best showed no interest in Bashir, just like all the dodgy 70s entertainers.
And of course the BBC and the Guardian massively spun phone hacking to make it sound like it was only the NOTW....when the Mirror were Premier League champions in the way Man City have won the league.
Only the Indy actually looked at the wider stuff that was going on.
David Herdson on Boris’s 16 point best PM lead in today’s YouGov
“These are dreadful results for Starmer, much worse than last time the gap was this big.
Then, he had much more scope to create an impression with the public. Now, the impression has already been formed and will be much harder to shift - not least because it's probably right.”
Just wait until he does Piers Moron....20 point poll bounce incoming.
That will be a proper bit of ‘can’t watch tv’
Will be interesting to see what ratings it gets. That show has been losing viewership for quite a while now.
Who will watch, other than some of the 24% who like him? If they all did the ratings would be pretty good I suppose, without changing his levels
Political journalists will too. I can’t see what’s so interesting about his life that you’d want to make a show about it. Private School, Uni, more uni, Lawyer, knighthood, unpopular, boring politician. Hardly a rollercoaster.
I was about to say I’m surprised Farage hadn’t done it, but of course he has!
Let go of the hate. If he bounces back you'll need hospital treatment. Don't risk it.
No hate here for man like Sir Keir! If he bounces back, good for him
You fool no-one. Well you probably do, but not me. You have really taken against the guy. He epitomises something for you. Something that gets your goat. It's to do with upward mobility and moral rectitude.
I just don’t think he has what it takes to beat Boris. That’s all I’ve said from the start, nothing malicious. He seems an upright, decent person.
I don’t like him because he was one of the leading voices in trying to stop Brexit, and I think he comes across as really dull. But that goes for lots of people!
If he bounces back I’ll owe you £300 though
That too. Mental anguish PLUS money down. Odds still on your side though. Very much so. But time is on mine.
Kinnock wasn't boring btw. Don't know why you say that. He was Mr Personality vs Grey John Major. And he lost.
But these are different times. Reality TV and social media times. Your pet theory does have some merit. It's not obvious and total bollocks.
Oh that’s nice of you to say. I’ll sleep easier now
100+ member of FIFA have just voted to consider holding the World Cup biennially. That doesn’t make it right.
So, are you saying Palestine shouldn't exist as a state?
Ok. In which case, the people who live there must be Israelis, and therefore should be accorded the same rights as other Israeli citizens.
This is the terrible logic Israel must face
Either it allows Palestinians sovereignty, or it goes the whole hog and becomes an apartheid state, in a single state with lower class Arab citizens (it is already horribly close).
Or it expels all the Palestinians from Palestine, and maybe Israeli Arabs as well
It is hideous choice, but they have made it this way, by insisting on a Jewish state allowing only Jewish immigration and a lesser status for Arabs
Yes. It's an ugly choice.
And expelling millions of people from lands where they were born, who have no other nationality, is nothing less than ethnic cleansing on a massive scale.
Israel's best option was always to have a Palestinian state that was dependent on it. But the settler movement has made a viable Palestinian state a near impossibility.
The settlers are fuckers. A smaller, ethnically homogeneous state, is always preferable to land-grabbing for its own sake.
*In their own terms* it’s not “land-grabbing for its own sake”
You need to remember that the settlers are religious nutcases. The boundaries of the land occupied are set out in the Bible (I believe God described them to Abraham). The settlers are simply moving to live in the land where God instructed them to dwell.
Personally I don’t think God gives two hoots who lives where.
Does Boris end up in the history books as initially wanting herd immunity when the pandemic began, hence the high number of deaths?
Interesting. Without vaccines this was a way through this. Horrific though it would have been. We’ve done it before, in pretty much every pandemic since the dawn of time.
So basically the story is...
“Ministers backed “herd immunity” approach but they were, er, overruled by those people taking the decisions”?
As opposed to, say, “ministers backed herd immunity approach, but they changed course when the health and political consequences of this became apparent”?
Had the vaccines not worked, it would have been the only option
Glastonbury organisers have made their live-stream concert free to watch after thousands of ticketholders were unable to access the show.....so keen that nobody misses out on Radiohead spin-off band and Coldplay...
Glastonbury organisers have made their live-stream concert free to watch after thousands of ticketholders were unable to access the show.....so keen that nobody misses out on Radiohead spin-off band and Coldplay...
Glastonbury's been a complete shambles since they stopped inviting Jeremy Corbyn.
Always happens because the judges know the public votes about 15 minutes before they start to announce them and they leak like a sieve.
Amazing they don’t actually put serious security measures in place like they do in U.K. public vote contests. Some of them must make a killing. An opportunity for a U.K. press investigation...?
Always happens because the judges know the public votes about 15 minutes before they start to announce them and they leak like a sieve.
Amazing they don’t actually put serious security measures in place like they do in U.K. public vote contests. Some of them must make a killing. An opportunity for a U.K. press investigation...?
Not really my cup of tea, but won by summat different which stood out for good or ill. Indeed the top 5 were all arguably like that. We always go for the blandest MOR. And duly get run over.
Always happens because the judges know the public votes about 15 minutes before they start to announce them and they leak like a sieve.
Amazing they don’t actually put serious security measures in place like they do in U.K. public vote contests. Some of them must make a killing. An opportunity for a U.K. press investigation...?
Would we finish on minus points if we close down their source of dodgy money?
Because Roger hates the Brexity UK, and he is a Remoaner. Of course
Well I know that - just wondering if he was going to share some secret insight into the opinions of the U.K. entrant. Ie. The person actually competing.
Wonder if he thought it was “well deserved” when Israel won a few years ago...
Not really my cup of tea, but won by summat different which stood out for good or ill. Indeed the top 5 were all arguably like that. We always go for the blandest MOR. And duly get run over.
Sure there is a lot of political voting, but generally the top 5 are decent acts too.
Germany and the UK: zero points. The two biggest countries in Europe
They hate Germany for historical reasons and because it basically runs the EU now, they hate us because of Brexit.
The reason the Nordic countries and Ireland often win is because they are small, friendly and not too powerful.
Ukraine also just done much better than Russia too emphasising the point
Germany won a few years ago.
Germany has only won the contest twice in the 65 year history of Eurovision
Last in 2010.
France last won in 1977...
I may be wrong but i’m pretty sure that Italy didn’t compete for years because they were fed up getting few votes as one of the “big” nations. The ones that actually fund the whole thing.
Metal is the Red Wall of music, looked down upon by the elite but in tune with the people. When I go to Download Festival, I see it in the audience. It is not a Glastonbury crowd.
Not really my cup of tea, but won by summat different which stood out for good or ill. Indeed the top 5 were all arguably like that. We always go for the blandest MOR. And duly get run over.
Jesus, the winning song was TERRIBLE. Mediocre soft-rock metal. The passionate French chick was better
That said, I thought they were all pretty bad. First time I've watched eurovision in a big way for many years. So not much has changed. When was the last time a eurovision winner went on to a stellar career like Abba? or Celine Dion?
As far as I can see, never. Abba is it. They all, basically, disappear
David Herdson on Boris’s 16 point best PM lead in today’s YouGov
“These are dreadful results for Starmer, much worse than last time the gap was this big.
Then, he had much more scope to create an impression with the public. Now, the impression has already been formed and will be much harder to shift - not least because it's probably right.”
Just wait until he does Piers Moron....20 point poll bounce incoming.
That will be a proper bit of ‘can’t watch tv’
Will be interesting to see what ratings it gets. That show has been losing viewership for quite a while now.
Who will watch, other than some of the 24% who like him? If they all did the ratings would be pretty good I suppose, without changing his levels
Political journalists will too. I can’t see what’s so interesting about his life that you’d want to make a show about it. Private School, Uni, more uni, Lawyer, knighthood, unpopular, boring politician. Hardly a rollercoaster.
I was about to say I’m surprised Farage hadn’t done it, but of course he has!
Let go of the hate. If he bounces back you'll need hospital treatment. Don't risk it.
No hate here for man like Sir Keir! If he bounces back, good for him
You fool no-one. Well you probably do, but not me. You have really taken against the guy. He epitomises something for you. Something that gets your goat. It's to do with upward mobility and moral rectitude.
I just don’t think he has what it takes to beat Boris. That’s all I’ve said from the start, nothing malicious. He seems an upright, decent person.
I don’t like him because he was one of the leading voices in trying to stop Brexit, and I think he comes across as really dull. But that goes for lots of people!
If he bounces back I’ll owe you £300 though
That too. Mental anguish PLUS money down. Odds still on your side though. Very much so. But time is on mine.
Kinnock wasn't boring btw. Don't know why you say that. He was Mr Personality vs Grey John Major. And he lost.
But these are different times. Reality TV and social media times. Your pet theory does have some merit. It's not obvious and total bollocks.
Oh that’s nice of you to say. I’ll sleep easier now
No, I meant it. There's merit there. How much is tbc.
Not really my cup of tea, but won by summat different which stood out for good or ill. Indeed the top 5 were all arguably like that. We always go for the blandest MOR. And duly get run over.
Jesus, the winning song was TERRIBLE. Mediocre soft-rock metal. The passionate French chick was better
That said, I thought they were all pretty bad. First time I've watched eurovision in a big way for many years. So not much has changed. When was the last time a eurovision winner went on to a stellar career like Abba? or Celine Dion?
As far as I can see, never. Abba is it. They all, basically, disappear
Yeah. I thought it verged on the Spinal Tap. But it wasn't dull. You could recall it. The UK of the past decade is instantly forgettable.
David Herdson on Boris’s 16 point best PM lead in today’s YouGov
“These are dreadful results for Starmer, much worse than last time the gap was this big.
Then, he had much more scope to create an impression with the public. Now, the impression has already been formed and will be much harder to shift - not least because it's probably right.”
Just wait until he does Piers Moron....20 point poll bounce incoming.
That will be a proper bit of ‘can’t watch tv’
Will be interesting to see what ratings it gets. That show has been losing viewership for quite a while now.
Who will watch, other than some of the 24% who like him? If they all did the ratings would be pretty good I suppose, without changing his levels
Political journalists will too. I can’t see what’s so interesting about his life that you’d want to make a show about it. Private School, Uni, more uni, Lawyer, knighthood, unpopular, boring politician. Hardly a rollercoaster.
I was about to say I’m surprised Farage hadn’t done it, but of course he has!
Let go of the hate. If he bounces back you'll need hospital treatment. Don't risk it.
No hate here for man like Sir Keir! If he bounces back, good for him
You fool no-one. Well you probably do, but not me. You have really taken against the guy. He epitomises something for you. Something that gets your goat. It's to do with upward mobility and moral rectitude.
I just don’t think he has what it takes to beat Boris. That’s all I’ve said from the start, nothing malicious. He seems an upright, decent person.
I don’t like him because he was one of the leading voices in trying to stop Brexit, and I think he comes across as really dull. But that goes for lots of people!
If he bounces back I’ll owe you £300 though
That too. Mental anguish PLUS money down. Odds still on your side though. Very much so. But time is on mine.
Kinnock wasn't boring btw. Don't know why you say that. He was Mr Personality vs Grey John Major. And he lost.
But these are different times. Reality TV and social media times. Your pet theory does have some merit. It's not obvious and total bollocks.
So reality TV and social media somehow makes it different than was? These days personality traits matter more than character references?
Well Johnson has a big personality and a bad character and keeps winning elections. So something's going awry.
Not really my cup of tea, but won by summat different which stood out for good or ill. Indeed the top 5 were all arguably like that. We always go for the blandest MOR. And duly get run over.
Jesus, the winning song was TERRIBLE. Mediocre soft-rock metal. The passionate French chick was better
That said, I thought they were all pretty bad. First time I've watched eurovision in a big way for many years. So not much has changed. When was the last time a eurovision winner went on to a stellar career like Abba? or Celine Dion?
As far as I can see, never. Abba is it. They all, basically, disappear
Metal is the Red Wall of music, looked down upon by the elite but in tune with the people. When I go to Download Festival, I see it in the audience. It is not a Glastonbury crowd.
Metal fans on speed dial all over europe for that result.
Comments
And employers, like the electorate, should always employ on basis of character than personality.
They hate us.
It was still a lame song though.
Problem come last at that as well, mind.
Look at it this way, if you had to go on Eurovision and everyone was speaking French, and your judge had to speak French, and the songs were mainly in French, and the comperes spoke French, would you vote for France?
You really would not
Something has leaked
We will only win now with a novelty act that captures the memes.
And of course the BBC and the Guardian massively spun phone hacking to make it sound like it was only the NOTW....when the Mirror were Premier League champions in the way Man City have won the league.
Only the Indy actually looked at the wider stuff that was going on.
You need to remember that the settlers are religious nutcases. The boundaries of the land occupied are set out in the Bible (I believe God described them to Abraham). The settlers are simply moving to live in the land where God instructed them to dwell.
Personally I don’t think God gives two hoots who lives where.
The most well deserved 0 for years
The reason the Nordic countries and Ireland often win is because they are small, friendly and not too powerful.
Ukraine also just done much better than Russia too emphasising the point
I class that as an absolute win for the UK.
We always go for the blandest MOR. And duly get run over.
France last won in 1977...
Wonder if he thought it was “well deserved” when Israel won a few years ago...
I honestly think the Italians may get disqualified.
https://twitter.com/catjxx1/status/1396228182836195343
Rock and Roll Never Dies!
That said, I thought they were all pretty bad. First time I've watched eurovision in a big way for many years. So not much has changed. When was the last time a eurovision winner went on to a stellar career like Abba? or Celine Dion?
As far as I can see, never. Abba is it. They all, basically, disappear
That might help
But it wasn't dull.
You could recall it. The UK of the past decade is instantly forgettable.
In front of 400m people. lol
What a joke.