The man who could be Britain’s next prime minister remains a mystery to many. What drives Keir Starmer? Where does that combination of bland amiability and ruthlessness towards the Left come from? And can he prove that competence matters more than charisma?

Michael Crick talks to two people who knew Starmer well – Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy and barrister Prof Bill Bowring – to delve into his past in the legal profession. What makes Keir Starmer tick?

• “He’s had to resurrect from the grave a party that was annihilated… Of course people are going to be unhappy with how he’s done it.” – Helena Kennedy
• “He was always ambitious… If you’d told him in 1987 that he’d become a KC, former DPP, leader of the Labour Party and a potential Prime Ministers, he wouldn’t have batted an eyelid.” – Bill Bowring
• “He’s someone who’ll know what’s going on in every department… He’s a details man.” – Helena Kennedy

Written and presented by Michael Crick. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Mugshots is a Podmasters Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices