Would a young Starmer really not be able to afford university today?  

Keir Starmer reckons that under today’s economic conditions and policy framework, he would not have gone to Leeds University when he left school in the early 1980s: ‘It was a financial stretch then; if I were a student today, I wouldn’t be able to go.’ I’m not completely convinced this is true, but I have a lot of empathy for what he says about university access. I also think it’s a politically interesting and astute comment. 

Let’s start with the politics. Compared to the population as a whole, Starmer is a very rich man who lives in a big house in London. He’s a KC and a knight. Like a lot of politicians, he’s sensitive about the fact that he’s richer and more comfortable than most of the people whose votes he wants, so naturally he prefers to talk about his humble origins. Hence those repeated references to his parents’ occupations: toolmaker and nurse. He’s