Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer and prosecutor, entered Downing Street with a reputation as a champion of international law. Yet after a year in power, Labour's record on human rights has been described as 'curiously mixed' by critics and supporters alike.
Some experts praise the government for restoring Britain's commitment to law after the 'scorched-earth years' of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Conor Gearty, a professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics, called it 'a major achievement' to stabilise that commitment. Philippe Sands, a prominent lawyer and academic, noted that the UK is once again taken seriously at the UN and Council of Europe, particularly due to Labour's push for a special tribunal on Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
However, others are deeply critical. A campaigner at a UK charity who regularly meets ministers described Starmer's pre-election pledge to put human rights 'at the heart of everything' as 'the biggest load of crap I've ever heard'. Complaints include policies on migration, policing and protest, cuts to disability benefits, and a failure to push harder for an end to Israel's war in Gaza.
Starmer's critics point to contradictions: he has been accused of fawning over authoritarian leaders, conflating peaceful protest with terrorism, and using legal sophistry to avoid defending his own positions. Even some admirers admit he is a 'ruthless careerist' willing to jettison principles when politically expedient.
Insiders suggest that Starmer's background as a litigator shapes his cautious, crisis-management style. A senior barrister who worked with him noted: 'He does well in a crisis... they enter the fray at the moment of complete crisis and shitshow.' This approach may explain why Labour's human rights record remains a work in progress.
