Following a general election in the UK, Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, will become the next prime minister. With the job comes an inevitable move to 10 Downing Street, historically the prime minister's official residence, but that will mean leaving his current home in Kentish Town, located in northwest London.
The 61-year-old politician grew up in the suburban areas of Kent and Surrey – both of which are located in southern England, reasonably close to the capital. After his time at Leeds University and St Edmund Hall, Oxford, Starmer returned to London and resided in the northern neighborhoods of Archway, Highgate, and Stoke Newington.
Starmer, who lives with his wife Victoria and their two children, reportedly bought their vibrant home (complete with a red brick facade and blue front door) in 2004. Since they purchased their home, it has doubled in value and is now worth over $1 million, according to reports.
Kentish Town is known for its large Victorian houses, built during the industrial boom of the mid-to-late 1800s. Starmer's home, like many properties around the area, boasts period architectural features that are often sought-after by Londoners. Local authorities encourage residents to maintain and preserve the authenticity of the materials used by the original builders. However, their eye-catching front door color brings an element of fun (while making the property feel like it belongs firmly in the twenty-first century).
Unsurprisingly, the area, which is thought to be a bohemian part of the city, attracts artists, writers, and musicians. Hampstead, located nearby, is a former favorite of Taylor Swift, who also lived in the area when she was in London. Other notable residents include Harry Styles, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Sting. Previously, Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor and writers Ian Fleming and John Keats called the area home. The latter is now a writer's house museum open to all literature lovers.
To the east of the British capital, Starmer also owns land in Surrey's countryside, close to where he grew up. He purchased the property in 1996 while he was working as a human rights lawyer.
Following his election win, Starmer and his family will make the move to Westminster; however, we would hazard a guess that he will keep his Kentish Town base. He previously told a podcast that, if he had lost the election, he would opt to work in the bookshop in the neighborhood – so we can't imagine he wants to leave his community entirely.
In the meantime, though, we're reading up on the deep history of 'Number 10' via this book on Amazon.
Written by Jack Brown, the first-ever ‘Researcher in Residence,’ with unprecedented access to people and papers, this book sheds new light on unexplored aspects of the figures who have gone before Starmer.
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