Fact check: Sir Keir Starmer protects time with his children on Friday nights

The Labour leader has spoken several times about how he carves out time for his teenage family despite having a busy job.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he tries to spend Friday evenings with his family (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

The Conservative Party has said Sir Keir Starmer would clock off work at 6pm if he becomes prime minister.

Meanwhile, Government minister Maria Caulfield sought to claim in a Sky News interview that Sir Keir would want to work a “four-day week” as prime minister.

Evaluation

Sir Keir has said in interviews that he has always reserved Friday evenings to spend with his family, unless “it’s absolutely urgent or a special reason”.

The facts

Speaking to Chris Evans on Virgin Radio on Monday July 1, Sir Keir said: “We’ve had a structure in place that I try to keep to, which is to carve out really protected time for the kids.

“So on a Friday – I’ve been doing this for years – I will not do a work-related thing after six o’clock, pretty well come what may.

“Now there are a few exceptions, but that’s what we do.”

He added: “I don’t believe in the theory that you’re a better decision-maker if you don’t allow yourself the space to be a dad.”

In July 2023, Sir Keir told the Table Manners podcast how he copes with juggling politics and family demands: “It’s a question of trying to ensure that we find time, so I’m really, really clear, I will not do – unless it’s absolutely urgent or a special reason – I won’t do a Friday night event.

“So at six o’clock we’ll go home and we’ll be as a family home together on a Friday night.”

He added: “Barring exceptional weeks, we will all be there on a Friday night together.”

The Labour leader and his wife Victoria have a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter.

Links

Post on X (archived)

Clip of Sky interview with Maria Caufield (archived post and video)

Interview on YouTube

Table Manners podcast with Friday night comments at 37m 25s and 38m 39s (archived post and audio)