No. 43: Victoria Starmer: Bringing a Jewish face to 10 Downing Street

Victoria Starmer - A true influencer

If the United States elects its first female president next month, the dinner conversations during the exchange state visits between the US and the UK will likely be interesting. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is a barrister; his wife, Victoria, is a solicitor. US Vice President Kamala Harris is an attorney, and so is her husband, Douglas Emhoff. Lady Victoria is Jewish, as is Emhoff. Is this good for Israel? Skeptics say no, even though there have been British media reports that the Starmers maintain a kosher home and that their two teenage children have been raised Jewish. Emhoff has said that his marriage has helped strengthen his Jewish identity. The Starmers will undoubtedly be invited to dine at the palace when King Charles hosts foreign dignitaries for dinner. When that happens, Lady Victoria will get on famously with Princess Anne. Both are passionate about racehorses.

Although she is politically savvy and has been active in political campaigns, Lady Victoria has avoided becoming a politician. Furthermore, she has no intention of playing the role of the PM’s wife except when necessary, such as attending diplomatic and state events. She is her own person, pursuing her own career. No longer a practicing solicitor, she works full-time as an occupational health worker at a London hospital.

Lady Victoria has never given a media interview and is unlikely to do so. She is also fiercely protective of her teenage son and daughter’s privacy, refusing to allow anyone to photograph them. So, what qualifies her placement in the list of influential Jews? It’s said that behind every great man is a great woman. Friends who know the Starmers well say that her husband never makes important decisions without first consulting with her, relying completely on her advice. She’s also a realist, well aware that her husband is the fifth British prime minister in five years, and that, with all the best intentions, there’s no guarantee he will remain in office a full term. While the Starmers reportedly have a close family life, this does not include her going gung-ho into boosting his career at the expense of her own. They are partners, but unlike Israel’s Isaac and Michal Herzog, they are not a team. Michal Herzog participates in some 80% of her husband’s activities. Lady Victoria shares her husband’s life, but only a small portion of his career – first thing in the morning and at the end of her working day – and, as far as she and her husband are concerned, that’s quite a satisfactory arrangement.