115-471: Freak Power was a band founded by bassist Norman Cook (later known as Fatboy Slim ), Ashley Slater (vocalist and trombonist), and backing vocalist Jesse Graham. Their music was a mix of acid jazz , funk , soul , and trip hop . Although not credited, the London-based session bass player Dale Davis recorded bass and guitar on their debut album Drive-Thru Booty . The single " Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out "
230-570: A Grammy Award , nine MTV Video Music Awards and two Brit Awards , and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score in 2024. Cook was born in Bromley , Kent . He was raised in Reigate , Surrey , and educated at Reigate Grammar School , where he took violin lessons alongside the future prime minister Keir Starmer . Cook grew up with a love of music. When he was 14, his brother brought home
345-643: A general election would be held on 4 July 2024. Labour entered the general election with a large lead over the Conservatives in opinion polls , and the potential scale of the party's victory remained a topic of discussion throughout the campaign. In June 2024 Starmer released the Labour Party’s 2024 manifesto, Change , which focused on economic growth, planning system reforms, infrastructure, what Starmer describes as "clean energy", healthcare, education, childcare, and strengthening workers' rights. It pledged
460-527: A vote of no confidence in the Government , stating that Johnson should not be allowed to remain in office. Starmer also criticised Johnson, as well as his successors Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak , for issues such as the Chris Pincher scandal and the subsequent government crisis , the economic crisis resulting from the 2022 mini-budget and subsequent government crisis , the cost of living crisis , and
575-477: A 303 ". Fatboy Slim's next work was the single " The Rockafeller Skank ", using a keyboard, a Roland TB-303 , an Akai S-950 and an Atari ST , with a C-Lab Creator sequencer and released before the album You've Come a Long Way, Baby , both of which were released in 1998. " Praise You ", also from this album, was Cook's first UK solo number one . Its music video, starring Spike Jonze , won numerous awards. On 9 September 1999, he performed "Praise You" at
690-722: A Bigger Boat , is the first to be co-produced by Cook's longtime engineer Simon Thornton, who also sings on one track. The album was released 6 January 2009 exclusively at Amazon.com on CD, with downloadable format and other stores scheduled for a month later on 3 February 2009. In 2010, Cook released a mix album, The Legend Returns, as a covermount album in the June 2010 issue of Mixmag . He returned as Fatboy Slim when performing at Ultra Music Festival in Miami in March 2012. On 12 August 2012 he performed "Rockefeller Skank" and "Right Here, Right Now" at
805-420: A Conservative peer for offences relating to false accounting in the aftermath of the parliamentary expenses scandal , who were all found guilty. Starmer prioritised rapid prosecutions of rioters over long sentences during the 2011 England riots , which he later concluded helped to bring "the situation back under control". In February 2012 Starmer announced that Chris Huhne would be prosecuted for perverting
920-608: A Conservative peer, and the future conservative journalist Andrew Sullivan . According to Starmer, he and Sullivan "fought over everything... Politics, religion.. You name it." In his teenage years Starmer was active in Labour Party politics joining the Labour Party Young Socialists at the age of 16. He won a junior exhibition from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he played
1035-580: A UK fruit juice ad. The videos for the three singles were directed by Michael Dominic . Cook also formed the group The Mighty Dub Katz with Gareth Hansome (aka GMoney), his former flatmate. Together they started the Boutique Nightclub in Brighton, formerly known as the Big Beat Boutique. Their biggest song together was " Magic Carpet Ride ". Cook adopted the pseudonym Fatboy Slim in 1996. He said of
1150-519: A couple of Number Ones and two new tracks, " Champion Sound " and " That Old Pair of Jeans ". In 2006, Cook travelled to Cuba and wrote and produced two original Cuban crossover tracks for the album The Revolution Presents: Revolution , which was released by Studio ! K7 and Rapster Records in 2009. The tracks are "Shelter" (which featured longtime collaborator Lateef ) and "Siente Mi Ritmo", featuring Cuba's female vocal group Sexto Sentido. The recordings took place at Cuba's EGREM Studios, home of
1265-720: A fall from the Upper Esplanade and one from a heart attack. After the show finished, major traffic congestion ensued throughout the Brighton area, with many caught in traffic jams until the morning. In June 2005, Fatboy Slim filled the Friday night headline slot on the "Other Stage" at the Glastonbury Festival . In 2006, Fatboy Slim filled the Saturday headline slot at the Global Gathering festival at Long Marston Airfield in
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#17329492205771380-506: A friend as well as a colleague. And to all of our members, supporters and affiliates I say this: whether you voted for me or not I will represent you, I will listen to you and I will bring our party together. Having become Leader of the Opposition during the COVID-19 pandemic , Starmer said in his acceptance speech that he would refrain from "scoring party political points" and would work with
1495-505: A headline gig at the Bestival on the Isle of Wight on 11 September. In March 2012, Cook hosted a one-hour radio programme, titled On The Road To Big Beach Bootique 5 , on XFM . It consisted of 10 shows. He performed his famous " The Rockafeller Skank " (dubbed the 'Funk Soul Brother') at the closing ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics on top of a giant inflatable octopus, which emerged from
1610-470: A legal officer for the campaign group Liberty until 1990. Starmer was a member of Doughty Street Chambers from 1990 onwards, primarily working on human rights matters. Starmer has been called to the Bar in several Caribbean countries , where he defended convicts sentenced with the death penalty. In 1999 he was a junior barrister on Lee Clegg 's appeal . Starmer assisted Helen Steel and David Morris in
1725-424: A majority of 120 to block the measure. Starmer's Labour Government inherited a number of ongoing industrial disputes from the preceding Conservative Government and agreed pay deals with trade unions representing NHS and railway workers, ending strikes in the first few months of taking office. In August 2024, Starmer's government agreed to increase public-sector worker pay by 5 to 7 per cent. On 10 October
1840-570: A member of the university's Labour Club before graduating with first-class honours as a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1985. He then went up to St Edmund Hall to pursue postgraduate studies in Jurisprudence taking a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree from the University of Oxford in 1986. Starmer became a barrister in 1987 at the Middle Temple , then a bencher in 2009. He served as
1955-573: A new publicly-owned energy company ( Great British Energy ), a "Green Prosperity Plan", reducing patient waiting times in the NHS, and renationalisation of the railway network ( Great British Railways ). Promising wealth creation together with "pro-business and pro-worker" policies, the manifesto also pledged giving 16-year-olds the vote, reforming the House of Lords , and to tax private schools , with money generated going into improving state education. On taxes,
2070-621: A panel to review complaints. Starmer stepped down as Director of Public Prosecutions in November 2013, and was succeeded by Alison Saunders . Awarded several honorary degrees between 2011 to 2014, Starmer was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours for "services to law and criminal justice". My predecessor, the Right Hon. Frank Dobson, to whom I pay tribute,
2185-538: A political career, and he was elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election . He supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum and advocated a proposed second referendum on Brexit . He served in Jeremy Corbyn 's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Brexit Secretary , and following Corbyn's resignation after Labour's defeat at the 2019 general election , Starmer succeeded him by winning
2300-514: A private two-hour set "Baby Loves Disco" for preschool children and their parents during the festival Brighton Fringe holding. At Glastonbury 2016, he played the John Peel stage for the first time. In October 2019, Cook performed a mashup of his track "Right Here, Right Now" and Greta Thunberg 's United Nations speech during a concert in Gateshead, England. In May 2021, Cook performed at one of
2415-595: A rehabilitation centre in Bournemouth to fight alcoholism . Due to an extended stay in the rehabilitation centre, his performance at Snowbombing , a week-long winter sports and music festival held in the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen , was cancelled, with the slot being filled by 2ManyDJs . Cook left the clinic at the end of March. As of 4 March 2019 he had not used drugs or alcohol for 10 years. Cook has supported Brighton & Hove Albion since moving to Brighton in
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#17329492205772530-406: A teenager, and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and received a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree from the University of Oxford where he was a student at St Edmund Hall in 1986. After being called to the Bar , Starmer practised predominantly in criminal defence work, specialising in human rights . He served as a human rights adviser to
2645-514: A version of " Caravan of Love ", originally a hit the year before for Isley-Jasper-Isley . By 1988 they had split up. Heaton and the drummer, Dave Hemingway, went on to form the Beautiful South , while Cook moved back to Brighton to pursue his interest in the style of music he preferred. He started working with the young studio engineer Simon Thornton, with whom he continues to make records. Cook achieved his first solo hit in 1989, "Blame It on
2760-617: Is aimed at "encouraging 16- to 25-year-olds to get more involved in their communities through grassroot initiatives and to raise awareness for community music projects". In May 2014, Fatboy Slim played Coachella for a second time, again on the Sahara stage. In December 2014, Fatboy Slim played three sold-out shows including The Warehouse Project in Manchester & O2 Brixton Academy, with supporting acts such as VAS LEON with Arthur Baker for Slam Dunk'd and DJ Fresh . On 15 May 2016, he played
2875-557: Is an English musician, DJ and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist for the Hull -based indie rock band the Housemartins , who achieved a UK number-one single with their a cappella cover of " Caravan of Love ". After the Housemartins split up, Cook formed the electronic band Beats International in Brighton , who produced
2990-417: Is the change in the Labour Party we need". During Starmer's tenure as Opposition Leader, his party suffered the loss of a previously safe Labour seat at the 2021 Hartlepool by-election , followed by holds at the 2021 Batley and Spen by-election , 2022 Birmingham Erdington by-election and 2022 City of Chester by-election , as well as a gain from the Conservatives at the 2022 Wakefield by-election . During
3105-632: The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City and won three awards, including that for Breakthrough Video . In 2000, Fatboy Slim released his third studio album Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars and featured two collaborations with Macy Gray and the track " Weapon of Choice ", which also was made into an award-winning music video starring Christopher Walken . The album also included " Sunset (Bird of Prey) ," whose socially significant video sampled
3220-532: The 2012 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony , and on 1 September 2012 Cook performed at Brighton Pride. On 20 June 2013, Cook released his first charting Fatboy Slim single in seven years; " Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat " with Riva Starr and Beardyman . Supported by a remix from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris , the song topped the UK Dance Chart that year. In 2015, Cook released a 15th-anniversary edition of Halfway Between
3335-654: The 2019 general election with a reduced majority of 27,763 (64.9 per cent), and at the 2024 general election with a further reduced majority of 18,884 (48.9 per cent). During the 2016 European Union membership referendum , Starmer supported the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union (EU). A member of both parliamentary groups Labour Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine and
3450-418: The 2020 leadership election . As Leader of the Opposition he moved Labour towards the political centre and emphasised the elimination of antisemitism within the party , and his party made significant gains in the 2023 and 2024 local elections . Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory at the 2024 general election , ending fourteen years of Conservative Party governance and with the smallest share of
3565-523: The 2023 local elections , Labour gained more than 500 councillors and 22 councils, becoming the largest party in local government for the first time since 2002 . Labour made further gains at the 2024 local elections , gaining from the Conservatives at the Blackpool South by-election and narrowly winning the West Midlands mayoral election . On 22 May 2024 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that
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3680-428: The 2024 Southport stabbing , in which three young girls were killed, Starmer described the incident as horrendous and shocking and thanked emergency services for their swift response. He visited Southport and laid flowers at the scene, where he was heckled by some members of the public. Starmer later wrote amidst the ongoing riots across England and Northern Ireland following the stabbing that those who had "hijacked
3795-619: The Buena Vista Social Club , and featured a band of young Cuban musicians, including Harold Lopez Nussa . Another track recorded during these sessions, "Guaguanco", was released separately under the Mighty Dub Katz moniker in 2006. The Brighton Port Authority debuted in 2008 with a collaboration with David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal titled " Toe Jam ", along with a video featuring nude dancers with censor bars on them, making pictures and words with them. The soundtrack album for
3910-481: The English Midlands . He played a two-hour set, appearing in front of a visual stage set comprising video screens and 3D lighting. A fireworks display rounded off the show. Having been banned by police from playing in Brighton since 2002, Fatboy Slim was given permission in 2006 to play again in his home town. On 1 January 2007, he played to an audience of more than 20,000 fans along Brighton's seafront. Tickets to
4025-465: The House of Lords , and to undertake a programme to speed up the delivery of "high quality infrastructure" and housing. In addition, a number of bills proposed by the previous Conservative government were also included, notably the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which featured in the 2023 King's Speech, but had been abandoned when the election was called . Skills England , a body whose objective will be to reduce
4140-721: The Iraq War following the 2003 invasion of Iraq , stating in 2015 that he believed that the war was " not lawful under international law because there was no UN resolution expressly authorising it". Starmer served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers , and was also a member of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 's Death Penalty Advisory Panel from 2002 to 2008. The Northern Ireland Board
4255-613: The McLibel case , at the trial and appeal in English courts, also representing them before the European Court of Human Rights . Starmer was appointed Queen's Counsel on 9 April 2002, aged 39. In the same year, he became joint head of Doughty Street Chambers. In 2005 Starmer said "I got made a Queen's Counsel, which is odd since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy ". Starmer authored legal opinions and marched in protest against
4370-670: The Northern Ireland Policing Board , taking silk as a Queen's Counsel in 2002. During his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service he dealt with a number of major cases, including the Stephen Lawrence murder case . In the 2014 New Year Honours , he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for "services to law and criminal justice". Starmer's policing work in Northern Ireland influenced him to pursue
4485-640: The O2 Wireless Festival and Rockness Festival. According to an NME interview, this may have been one of the last times he performed as Fatboy Slim, as he may now be focusing on his new band The Brighton Port Authority (BPA). Also in 2008, Fatboy Slim closed out the famed "Sahara" tent on Friday of the Coachella Valley Music Festival . His introduction included a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opening that has been called of
4600-561: The Rwanda asylum plan and a National Violent Disorder Programme in response to the 2024 riots , as well as reforms to workers' rights . In foreign policy, Starmer has supported Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel in the Israel-Hamas war . Keir Rodney Starmer was born on 2 September 1962, at Southwark in south east London, and grew up in the town of Oxted , Surrey. He was
4715-615: The industrial disputes and strikes including National Health Service strikes . As Labour Leader Starmer focused on repositioning the Party away from the Left and the controversies that affected Corbyn's leadership, with promises of economic stability, tackling small-boat crossings , cutting NHS waiting times and "rebuilding the NHS", worker rights enrichment, energy independence and infrastructure development, tackling crime, improving education and training, reforming public services, renationalising
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4830-580: The 1964 " Daisy Girl " campaign ad. At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, Fatboy Slim won six awards for "Weapon of Choice", the most awards at the ceremony. In 2003, he produced " Crazy Beat " and "Gene by Gene" from the Blur album Think Tank and in 2004, Palookaville was Cook's first studio album for four years. Fatboy Slim's greatest hits album Why Try Harder was released on 19 June 2006. It consists of 18 tracks, including ten Top 40 singles,
4945-414: The 2021 local elections, the first local elections of his leadership, but later felt "vindicated" by his decision to stay on, saying "I did [consider quitting] because I didn't feel that I should be bigger than the party and that if I couldn't bring about the change, perhaps there should be a change. But actually, in the end, I reflected on it, talked to very many people and doubled down and determined, no, it
5060-528: The Bassline", featuring future Beats International member MC Wildski. Credited to "Norman Cook feat. MC Wildski", the song followed the basic template of what would become Beats International's style. It reached number 29 on the UK singles chart . Cook formed Beats International, a loose confederation of studio musicians including the vocalists Lindy Layton and Lester Noel, the rappers D.J. Baptiste and MC Wildski and
5175-586: The Brighton Port Authority, a collaborative effort with a number of other established artists including David Byrne . He has been responsible for successful remixes for Cornershop , the Beastie Boys , A Tribe Called Quest , Groove Armada and Wildchild . It was reported in 2008 that Cook held the Guinness World Record for most top-40 hits under different names. As a solo act, he has won
5290-580: The European Union . In this role, Starmer questioned Theresa May and HM Government 's destination for the UK outside of the EU, as well as calling for Brexit plans to be made public and supporting a proposed Second Referendum on Brexit . Following defeat at the 2019 general election , Corbyn announced that he would not lead Labour at the next general election after "a process of reflection". Starmer began to distance himself from Corbyn's leadership and many of
5405-466: The Government "in the national interest". He later became more critical of HM Government's response to the pandemic following the partygate scandal. In May 2022, Starmer said he would resign were he to receive a fixed penalty notice for breaching COVID-19 regulations while campaigning during the run-up to the Hartlepool by-election and local elections the previous year. The controversy surrounding
5520-534: The Government implemented the most significant enhancement of employment regulations in a generation. This included an increase in minimum wages and a wide array of rights, such as immediate protection against unfair dismissal and the entitlement for employees to request flexible working arrangements, unless the employer can demonstrate that such arrangements are impractical. Billions worth of investments in emerging growth sectors including AI and life sciences, and infrastructure were unveiled by businesses and ministers at
5635-455: The Gutter and the Stars . This was supported with the release of miscellaneous remixes. In May 2015, Cook compiled The Fatboy Slim Collection, an album of songs used throughout his sets over the years. In 2017, Fatboy Slim returned with his single "Where U Iz", released on 3 March. Later that year, he released another collaboration with Beardyman titled "Boom F**king Boom". In 2018, a remix album from Australian artists of Cook's previous works
5750-609: The House of Commons. Labour achieved a 174-seat simple majority and a total of 411 seats, the party's third-best result in terms of seat-share following the 1997 and 2001 general elections. The party became the largest in England for the first time since 2005 , in Scotland for the first time since 2010 and retained its status as the largest party in Wales . Despite this, Labour won 34 per cent of
5865-667: The Labour Party no longer being monitored by the EHRC. Starmer's Shadow Cabinet initially comprised both the right and left of the Labour Party. Starmer reshuffled his Shadow Cabinet three times – firstly in May 2021 , secondly in November 2021 , and finally in September 2023 . Starmer's reshuffles reduced the representation of the left and soft left on the Opposition frontbench , while increasing
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#17329492205775980-445: The Middle East , Starmer was urged by a number of activists to stand in the 2015 Labour Party leadership election following the resignation of Ed Miliband as Leader of the Labour Party after Labour's defeat at the 2015 general election ; he ruled this out, citing his relative lack of political experience at the time. During the leadership election Starmer supported Andy Burnham , who finished second to Jeremy Corbyn . Starmer
6095-426: The Pyramid Stage. Cook produced the single " Mama Do the Hump " by fellow Brighton band Rizzle Kicks released in December 2011 which peaked at number 2 in the charts. Cook has been responsible for successful remixes for Cornershop , Beastie Boys , A Tribe Called Quest and Wildchild . In 2008, he did a remix of the track "Amazonas" for the charity Bottletop . On Saturday, 13 July 2002, Fatboy Slim played at
6210-411: The Stomping Pond Frogs. At 18, Cook went to Brighton Polytechnic to read a B.A. in English, politics and sociology, where he achieved a 2:1 in British Studies . He had begun DJing some years before, but it was at this time that he began to develop his skills in the thriving Brighton club scene, regularly appearing at the Brighton Belle and the Basement. There, known as DJ Quentox, he began laying
6325-462: The TV series Heroes also includes the Brighton Port Authority's track "He's Frank (Slight Return)" (a cover of a song by The Monochrome Set ), with Iggy Pop as vocalist. The video for this track features a near life-size puppet of Iggy Pop. An alternative club version was released under the title "He's Frank (Washing Up)", with the video featuring some footage of Iggy Pop acting and saying lyrics. The band's debut album, I Think We're Gonna Need
6440-491: The Terrace at Ibiza 's famed Space Nightclub's We Love Sundays closing party. On 29 October 2011, Fatboy Slim opened at the San Francisco Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, following up on the 30th, closing out the Red Bulletin/Le PLUR Stage at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans, Louisiana. On Saturday, 24 March 2012, Fatboy Slim performed a live DJ set on the main stage at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida. In addition to his other 2011 performances, Fatboy Slim also played
6555-422: The United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He was Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, having previously been Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. Born in London and raised in Surrey , Starmer attended the selective state Reigate Grammar School . He was active politically as
6670-478: The base for Brighton's hip-hop scene. In 1985, Heaton formed a guitar band, the Housemartins . Their original bassist, Ted Key , left on the eve of their first national tour, so Cook agreed to move to Hull to join them. The band soon had a hit single, " Happy Hour ", and their two albums, London 0 Hull 4 and The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death , reached the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart . They also reached number one just before Christmas 1986 with
6785-439: The beard a miss. Starmer was selected in December 2014 as the Labour parliamentary candidate for the constituency of Holborn and St Pancras , a Labour safe seat , following the decision of its sitting MP, Frank Dobson , to retire. Starmer was elected at the 2015 general election with a majority of 17,048 (52.9 per cent). He was re-elected at the 2017 general election with an increased majority of 30,509 (70.1 per cent), at
6900-533: The cap would immediately raise 300,000 children out of poverty. MPs rejected the SNP amendment by 363 votes to 103. The seven Labour MPs suspended for six months were John McDonnell , Richard Burgon , Ian Byrne , Apsana Begum , Imran Hussain , Zarah Sultana , and Rebecca Long-Bailey, all of whom now sit as independents . Starmer launched a Child Poverty Taskforce, in which expert officials from across government would work together on how best to support more than four-million children living in poverty. Following
7015-434: The case and was ordered to pay back twice the royalties made on the record, bankrupting him. The 1991 follow-up album, Excursion on the Version , an exploration of dub and reggae music, did not chart. Cook formed Freak Power with the horn player Ashley Slater and the singer Jesse Graham. They released their debut album Drive-Thru Booty in 1994, which contained the single " Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out ". Levi's used
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#17329492205777130-420: The challenges of an insecure world. Committed to a calm and patient rebuilding. So with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this government of service in the mission of national renewal. Our work is urgent and we begin it today. Other world leaders, including Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau , as well as Blair and Brown, congratulated Starmer upon his appointment as prime minister. One of his first acts
7245-509: The city's flourishing hip hop scene today. These primitive 1980s block parties are recalled in the music documentary South Coast , which documents Brighton's cult hip hop scene from its grass roots to the present day. Cook was awarded a star on the city of Brighton's Walk of Fame, next to that of Winston Churchill . Q magazine named Fatboy Slim part of their "50 Bands to See Before You Die" list. Cook married TV personality Zoe Ball in 1999 at Babington House in Somerset. In January 2003,
7360-440: The couple separated, but three months later they reconciled. Their daughter Nelly May Lois premiered a DJ set as Fat Girl Slim with Camp Bestival during the COVID-19 pandemic to raise money for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and The Trussell Trust . They lived in Western Esplanade, Portslade , Hove . On 24 September 2016, Cook and Ball announced their separation after 18 years. On 4 March 2009, Cook checked into
7475-402: The course of justice , stating in relation to the case that "[w]here there is sufficient evidence we do not shy away from prosecuting politicians". In 2012 the journalist Nick Cohen published allegations that Starmer was personally responsible for allowing the prosecution of Paul Chambers to proceed, in what became known as the " Twitter joke trial ". The CPS denied that Starmer was behind
7590-407: The day after the manifesto was released, Starmer pledged that not only would income tax, National Insurance , and VAT not be increased, but that, per their manifesto, their plans were fully costed and funded and would not require tax increases. Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory at the general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative government with Labour becoming the largest party in
7705-460: The day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back. We said we would end the chaos and we will. We said we would turn the page and we have. Today we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country. As the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons, Starmer was appointed prime minister by King Charles III on 5 July 2024, becoming
7820-461: The decision, saying that it was the responsibility of a Crown Court and was out of Starmer's hands. When Jimmy Savile 's sexual abuse crimes were exposed in 2012, Starmer said amid the subsequent scandal that "It was like a dam had bust and people rightfully wanted to know why he had been allowed to get away with it for so long." In 2013 Starmer announced changes to how sexual abuse investigations were to be handled amid Operation Yewtree , including
7935-445: The east dance at Glastonbury Festival . On 18 June 2010, he performed in Cape Town , South Africa as part of the Cool Britannia FIFA World Cup music festival at the Cape Town International Convention Centre . He also performed in Naples on 15 July at the Neapolis Festival. On 30 May 2011, he performed as the headliner for Detroit's Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit, Michigan. On 25 September 2011, Fatboy Slim headlined
8050-435: The electoral vote of any majority government since record-keeping of the popular vote began in 1830 . Under Starmer's premiership , the government has ended certain winter fuel payments for around 10 million people, implemented an early-release scheme for thousands of prisoners to decrease prison overcrowding, and settled a number of public-sector strikes . Starmer has announced the Border Security Command in replacement of
8165-451: The establishment of the Council of the Nations and Regions . On 24 July 2024 Starmer attended his first Prime Minister's Questions in parliament. Starmer set about appointing a new Cabinet , which first met on 6 July, and he completed his ministerial appointments on 7 July. Parliament was then recalled to meet on 9 July. Among Starmer's ministerial appointments were the scientist Patrick Vallance as Minister of State for Science ,
8280-605: The event was dubbed " beergate ". In July 2022 Durham Police cleared Starmer and said that he had "no case to answer". In August 2022 the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards , Kathryn Stone , found that Starmer had breached the MPs' code of conduct eight times by failing to register interests on eight occasions. Amidst the historic number of ministers resigning from Boris Johnson 's government in July 2022, Starmer proposed
8395-423: The event, titled "Fatboy Slim's Big Beach Boutique 3", were made available only to individuals with a BN postcode. The concert was deemed a "stunning success" by Sussex police, Fatboy Slim and the crowd. The Cuban Brothers and David Guetta opened the concert. The next similar event, 'Big Beach Boutique 4', was held on 27 September 2008. In 2008, Fatboy Slim played at the Glastonbury Festival again and headlined
8510-531: The first British Asian prime minister of our country should not be underestimated by anyone" and he also recognised "the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership", but added that the people of the UK had voted for change: You have given us a clear mandate, and we will use it to deliver change. To restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives, and unite our country. Four nations, standing together again, facing down, as we have so often in our past,
8625-519: The first Labour prime minister since Gordon Brown in 2010 and the first one to win a general election since Tony Blair in 2005 . He and his wife, Victoria, were driven from Buckingham Palace to Downing Street . Starmer stopped the car on the way back from the palace to go on a walkabout in Downing Street to meet cheering crowds. In his first speech as prime minister, Starmer paid tribute to his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, saying "his achievement as
8740-458: The first UK events in Liverpool, England as part of the government's trials to restart mass audience events. In July 2022, Cook returned to Brighton beach for the 20th anniversary of Big Beach Boutique. He was joined by Carl Cox, Eats Everything and others. Known as DJ Quentox (The OX that Rocks), Cook and DJ Baptiste started putting on youth club hip hop jams in Brighton, sowing the seeds of
8855-783: The first album from the punk band the Damned ; he started attending punk gigs at the Greyhound pub in Park Lane, Croydon , and playing in punk bands. He played drums in Disque Attack, a British new wave -influenced rock band. When the frontman, Charlie Alcock, was told by his parents that he had to give up the band to concentrate on his O levels , Cook took over as lead vocalist. At the Railway Tavern in Reigate, Cook met Paul Heaton , with whom he formed
8970-465: The flute, piano, recorder and violin until the age of 18. In the early 1980s Starmer was caught by police illegally selling ice creams while trying to raise money during a holiday on the French Riviera . He escaped the incident without punishment, beyond the ice creams being confiscated. The first member of his family to go to university, Starmer read Law at the University of Leeds where he became
9085-577: The former is a play on Timothy Leary 's " Turn on, tune in, drop out ". "Song #6" from the band's follow-up album was featured in the 2004 movie Code 46 . The song "Waiting for the story to end" was used in a Norwegian beer commercial in the 1990s, for a beer from the E.C Dahls brewery in Trondheim. Norman Cook Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook , 31 July 1963), better known as Fatboy Slim ,
9200-474: The full force of the law" and that "You will regret taking part in this, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves". He added "I won't shy away from calling it what it is – far-right thuggery". Starmer later called an emergency response meeting of COBRA . After the COBRA meeting, Starmer ordered a "standing army" to be set up to tackle the ongoing "far-right" riots. This
9315-462: The keyboardist Andy Boucher. Their first album, Let Them Eat Bingo , included the number-one single " Dub Be Good to Me ", which caused a legal dispute over allegations of copyright infringement through the liberal use of unauthorised samples : the bassline was taken from the Clash 's " The Guns of Brixton " and the chorus was an interpolation of the S.O.S. Band 's " Just Be Good to Me ". Cook lost
9430-458: The last government. Over 1,700 prisoners were released in September, with further releases expected in the following year. It then emerged that one prisoner released early under the scheme was charged with sexual assault relating to an alleged offence against a woman on the same day he was freed. Starmer has defended the releasing of prisoners, and accused the previous government of having "broke[n]
9545-502: The late 1980s. Bands Studio albums Cook appears in the documentary Tripping (1999) directed by Vikram Jayanti and written by Jeff Taupler about Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters . He appears as himself in the 2019 satire film Greed . Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer ( / ˈ k ɪər / KEER ; born 2 September 1962) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of
9660-700: The most memorable Sahara performances ever. In 2009, he toured Australia in the Good Vibrations Festival . Also in 2009, he played in Marlay Park , Dublin, alongside David Guetta , Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris , as well as one huge performance at the Sziget Festival in Budapest . He also performed at V Festival 2009. At Glastonbury 2009, he played an unadvertised concert in the "pinball-machine" stage at trash city. In 2010, Fatboy Slim headlined
9775-525: The name: "It doesn't mean anything. I've told so many different lies over the years about it I can't actually remember the truth. It's just an oxymoron—a word that can't exist. It kind of suits me—it's kind of goofy and ironic." The Fatboy Slim album and Cook's second solo album, Better Living Through Chemistry (released on Skint Records in the UK and Astralwerks in the US), contained the Top 40 UK hit " Everybody Needs
9890-612: The need for overseas employees by improving skills training for people in England, was launched on 22 July. One of Starmer's first acts was the cancellation of the controversial Rwanda asylum plan , describing it as "dead and buried". Cooper established the Border Security Command to tackle smuggling gangs which facilitate illegal migrant crossings over the English Channel . Shortly after taking office, Starmer said that there were "too many prisoners", and described
10005-629: The number-one single " Dub Be Good to Me ". He then played in Freak Power , Pizzaman and the Mighty Dub Katz, with moderate success. In 1996, Cook adopted the name Fatboy Slim and released Better Living Through Chemistry to critical acclaim. Follow-up albums You've Come a Long Way, Baby , Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars , and Palookaville , as well as singles such as " The Rockafeller Skank ", " Praise You ", " Right Here, Right Now ", " Weapon of Choice " and " Wonderful Night ", achieved commercial and critical success. In 2008, Cook formed
10120-429: The party. This is what it is for – a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people. And across our country people will be waking up to the news, relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation. And now we can look forward. Walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through
10235-508: The planning system, infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, childcare, and strengthening workers' rights, as set out in Labour's 2024 election manifesto. The 2024 State Opening of Parliament outlined 39 bills that Labour proposed to introduce in the months ahead, including ones to renationalise the railways , to bring local bus services under local public control, to strengthen the rights of workers, to tackle illegal immigration , to reform
10350-482: The policies put forward at the general election, later revealing in 2024 that he was "certain that we would lose the 2019 election". On 4 January 2020 Starmer announced his candidacy for the resultant leadership election . He gained support from the former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown and London Mayor Sadiq Khan . During the Labour leadership campaign, Starmer ran a left-wing platform and positioned himself in opposition to austerity , stating that Corbyn
10465-399: The previous government as having acted "almost beyond recklessness". In order to manage the prison overcrowding, the newly-appointed Justice Secretary , Shabana Mahmood , announced the implementation of an early release scheme which allowed for prisoners in England and Wales to be released after serving 40 per cent of their sentences rather than the 50 per cent previously introduced under
10580-494: The previous government of leaving a £21.9bn "black hole", and announced on 29 July that certain winter fuel payments would be scrapped for around 10 million pensioners. Following criticism of the plan , Starmer has defended the scrapping of these winter fuel payments, arguing that he had to make "tough decisions to stabilise the economy". On 10 September the Government benches defeated a Conservative Party motion in Parliament by
10695-528: The prison system." Starmer has declined to abolish the two-child benefit cap introduced by the Cameron–Clegg coalition government in 2013, citing financial reasons. On 23 July 2024 Labour withdrew the whip from seven of its MPs who had supported an amendment tabled by the Scottish National Party 's Westminster parliamentary leader Stephen Flynn to scrap it, with Flynn saying that scrapping
10810-462: The railway network, and recruiting 6,500 teachers. Starmer also pledged to end antisemitism within the Labour Party . In October 2020, following the release of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)'s report into antisemitism in the Labour Party , Starmer accepted its findings in full and apologised to Jews on the Party's behalf. In February 2023 Starmer's antisemitism reforms resulted in
10925-707: The rehabilitation campaigner James Timpson as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation , and the international law expert Richard Hermer as Attorney General for England and Wales , who were created life peers to sit in the House of Lords . The new government also contains a few ministers from the New Labour Blair/Brown governments, including Hilary Benn , Yvette Cooper, David Lammy, and Ed Miliband in Cabinet, and Jacqui Smith and Douglas Alexander as junior ministers. Domestically, Starmer said that his primary concerns would be economic growth, reforming
11040-482: The representation of the Party's right. Notable changes included Rachel Reeves replacing Anneliese Dodds as Shadow Chancellor , the demotion of Lisa Nandy from Shadow Levelling-Up Secretary to Shadow Minister for International Development , and the replacement of Chief Whip Nick Brown with Alan Campbell . Resignations from Starmer's Shadow Cabinet included Andy McDonald and Rosena Allin-Khan . Starmer considered resigning after Labour's mixed results in
11155-465: The school, now a charity, awarded him a bursary that allowed him to complete his education there without any parental contribution. The subjects he chose to study in the sixth form during his last two years at school were mathematics, music and physics, in which he achieved A level grades of B, B and C. Among his classmates at Reigate were the musician Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), with whom Starmer took violin lessons; Andrew Cooper , who later became
11270-467: The second of his free open-air concerts on Brighton Beach, the Big Beach Boutique II . Although organisers expected a crowd of around 60,000 people, the event instead attracted an estimated 250,000 who crammed the promenade and beach between Brighton's piers. Local police forced the event to end early amid safety concerns due to overcrowding. Shortly after the event there were two deaths, one due to
11385-554: The second of the four children of Josephine ( née Baker ), a nurse, and Rodney Starmer, a toolmaker . His mother contracted Still's disease . His mother attended St. John's Anglican Church in Hurst Green whilst his father was an atheist. He was nominally "brought up Church of England ." His parents were both Labour Party supporters, and reputedly named him after the party's first parliamentary leader, Keir Hardie , although Starmer neither confirmed nor denied whether this
11500-493: The song in a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign. In 1996, Cook rejoined Freak Power for their second album, More of Everything for Everybody . Cook enlisted help from producer friends Tim Jeffery and JC Reid to create a house music album as Pizzaman . The 1995 Pizzamania album spawned three UK Top 40 hits: " Trippin' on Sunshine ", " Sex on the Streets " and " Happiness ". Del Monte Foods corporation used "Happiness" in
11615-592: The top of a party bus. In 2013, Fatboy Slim played at Ultra Music Festival, Wavefront Music Festival, Exit Festival , Bestival and Glastonbury Festival (as a special guest on the Wow! and Arcadia stages). On 6 March 2013, Fatboy Slim played at the House of Commons in Westminster , London. This was the first time a DJ ever performed there, and the performance was in aid of the Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Foundation, which
11730-688: The trust of people". Starmer represented Croatia at the genocide hearings before the International Court of Justice at The Hague in 2014, arguing that Serbia wanted to seize a third of Croatian territory during the 1990s war and eradicate the Croatian population. In July 2008 Patricia Scotland , Attorney General for England and Wales , named Starmer as the new Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He succeeded Ken Macdonald , who publicly welcomed Starmer's appointment, on 1 November 2008. Starmer
11845-419: The vigil for the victims" had "insulted the community as it grieves" and that rioters would feel the full force of the law. On 1 August, and following a meeting with senior police officers, Starmer announced the establishment of a National Violent Disorder Programme to facilitate greater cooperation between police forces when dealing with violent disorder . On 4 August Starmer stated that rioters "will feel
11960-535: The vote in the first round. It is the honour and the privilege of my life to be elected as Leader of the Labour Party. I want to thank Rebecca and Lisa for running such passionate and powerful campaigns and for their friendship and support along the way. I want to thank our Labour Party staff who worked really hard and my own amazing campaign team, full of positivity, with that unifying spirit. I want to pay tribute to Jeremy Corbyn, who led our party through some really difficult times, who energised our movement and who's
12075-661: The vote – the lowest of any party forming a majority government in the post-war era, leading to concerns about the proportionality of the election . In his victory speech Starmer thanked Labour Party workers for their work – including nearly five years of revamping and rebranding Labour in the face of Conservative dominance – and urged them to savour the moment, but warned them of challenges ahead and pledged his government would seek "national renewal": We did it! You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived. Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing
12190-498: Was a minor hit on the UK Singles Chart when released in 1993. There was renewed interest in the track after TV exposure in the 1995 Levi's jeans television advert "Taxi" directed by Baillie Walsh. The band released two albums: Drive-Thru Booty in 1994 and More of Everything for Everybody in 1996. The debut album featured the hit singles "Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out" and "Rush", released on 4th and Broadway . The title of
12305-508: Was a powerful advocate of the rights of everyone in Holborn and St Pancras throughout his highly distinguished parliamentary career. Widely respected and widely regarded, he served the people of Holborn and St Pancras for 36 years. Although I doubt I will clock up 36 years, I intend to follow in Frank Dobson's footsteps—albeit my jokes are likely to seem tame when compared with his, and I might give
12420-507: Was an important part of bringing communities together following the Good Friday Agreement , and Starmer later cited his work on policing in Northern Ireland as being a key influence on his decision to pursue a political career: "Some of the things I thought that needed to change in police services we achieved more quickly than we achieved in strategic litigation... I came better to understand how you can change by being inside and getting
12535-420: Was appointed to Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Home Office Minister in July 2015. He resigned from this role in June 2016 as part of the widespread Shadow Cabinet resignations in protest at Corbyn's leadership following the 2016 EU Referendum result. Following Corbyn's re-election at the September 2016 leadership election , Starmer accepted a new post from Corbyn as Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting
12650-446: Was deemed to be bringing a focus on human rights into the legal system. In 2011 he introduced reforms that included the "first test paperless hearing". During his time as DPP Starmer dealt with a number of major cases including the Stephen Lawrence murder case , where he brought his murderers to justice. In February 2010 Starmer announced the CPS's decision to prosecute three Labour MPs and
12765-751: Was possible under the special emergency powers which first used 40 years ago under the Ridley Plan , to tackle striking miners in 1984 and 1985. Starmer faced criticism for his response to the riots, including from Elon Musk , the wealthiest person in the world, for not condemning all participants and only blaming the far-right . Musk dubbed Starmer "Two-Tier Keir", asking, "why aren't all communities protected in Britain?". Starmer rejected calls from some MPs, including Reform Party leader Nigel Farage and Conservative Dame Priti Patel , to recall parliament to Westminster . The new Chancellor , Rachel Reeves, accused
12880-525: Was released, titled Fatboy Slim vs. Australia . In June 2023, Cook played at Glastonbury Festival . He performed the song "Insomnia" by Faithless as a tribute to Maxi Jazz . In June 2024, Fatboy Slim released a new single featuring vocalist Dan Diamond called "Role Model." It comes with a music video, his first in nearly 20 years, and features many celebrities using deepfake technology such as David Bowie , Bill Murray and Muhammad Ali . On 28th June 2024, Cook appeared at Glastonbury with Paul Heaton on
12995-487: Was right to position Labour as "the party of anti-austerity ". He indicated he would continue with the Labour policy of scrapping tuition fees as well as pledging "common ownership" of rail, mail, energy and water companies, and called for ending outsourcing in the NHS, local government and the justice system. Starmer was declared the winner of Labour's leadership contest on 4 April 2020, defeating his rivals, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy , with 56.2 per cent of
13110-424: Was the case when asked in 2015. Starmer passed the 11-plus examination and gained entry to Reigate Grammar School , then a voluntary-aided selective grammar school . Reigate GS converted into an independent fee-paying school in 1976, while he was a student. The terms of the conversion were such that his parents were not required to pay for his schooling until he turned 16, and when he reached that point,
13225-491: Was to declare the Rwanda asylum plan as "dead": the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper , would establish a Border Security Command to tackle smuggling gangs which facilitate illegal migrant crossings over the English Channel . Starmer went on a tour of the four nations of the UK , meeting with leaders including John Swinney , Michelle O'Neill , and Vaughan Gething . He also met the twelve regional mayors and announced
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