Keir Starmer makes a lot of his legal career and the fact that it reveals his dedication to “service“. While a barrister, Starmer took some time out of working on human rights cases to champion the innocence of a convicted murderer. A warm-up for his defence of Hizb ut-Tahrir?
Brit Simon Hall was convicted of murder in 2003 after stabbing 79-year-old Joan Albert five times in her Suffolk home. His family and friends launched a campaign to exonerate him, which got widespread support, including from the young barrister. Starmer was so involved in the campaign he spoke to the BBC for a 2007 Rough Justice documentary to offer his expert analysis:
“Simon’s case is really peculiar, because there is no particular reason to suspect he is guilty of this offence, there are lots and lots of question marks. There is one crucial link and that’s the fibre evidence, and that’s what holds the whole case together. It’s a very odd case; it’s circumstantial, break that central piece of evidence and the case falls apart.”
Hall thanked Starmer personally for his “hard work and faith” to free him on his website. Starmer’s faith was no use – Hall finally confessed to the murder in 2013, after his appeal failed, before committing suicide. By which point everyone had forgotten about Starmer’s involvement in the campaign, for which he never apologised…
Douglas Alexander – a friend of Starmer’s – was asked on Sky News if the PM will be in post at the next election. He wasn’t so sure himself:
“I think he will. There are no certainties but of course I think he will lead and I think he should because, frankly, on the biggest call in this parliament he’s exercised the right judgment, which is to keep us out of someone else’s war.”