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Labour under Keir Starmer: reasons to be cheerful?

15 April 2020 / Patrick Allen
Issue: 7884 / Categories: Opinion , Profession
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Sir Keir Starmer’s appointment marks the return of an effective opposition, says Patrick Allen
Sir Keir Starmer QC was finally appointed last month as leader of the Labour Party with the ending of the interminably long election process.

This is welcome news for the country and all who care about progressive causes. For the past four months we have had no effective opposition to the government and the last leader presided over the worst result that Labour has achieved in an election since 1935.

But the legal profession should be especially pleased that Keir Starmer will now occupy one of the most influential roles in politics. Starmer is someone with an intimate knowledge of the legal system and the courts and has every chance of becoming Prime Minister.

Legal career

Starmer brings many good qualities and wide experience to the role of leader of the opposition. First, his legal background and training. He enjoyed an eminent career at the bar, becoming a QC at the age of

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NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
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Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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