Keir Starmer: Man of the Dour

Let’s be real—nobody expected Sir Keir Starmer to set the stage on fire with his oratory skills. But The Times, today, measuring his speech impact by word count? Come on, that’s missing the bigger picture!Sure, the stats are there: Starmer clocks in at a sloth-like 101 words per minute, compared to Boris Johnson’s zippy 122 or Barack Obama’s electrifying 130. But does speed really tell the whole story?Take Bill Clinton (around 100 wpm) vs. Richard Nixon (over 135 wpm). Do we think anyone is putting those two in the same league when it comes to charisma, warmth, and connection? Word count is a narrow metric—it’s the inflection, the emotion, the projection that make a speaker unforgettable. During a 2013 speech in Berlin, Obama delivered more than 3,300 words in less than half an hour —averaging 116 words per minute. But let’s not forget the drama! Between epic pauses, crowd cheers, and that iconic jacket removal, his true pace was closer to his usual 130-140 wpm.  In today's British political environment, Starmer might not be a fireworks display, but he’s aiming for managerial calm and substance over sizzle. Yes, the headlines are grim for Labour right now. But let’s give credit where it’s due—delivery is about more than just the numbers. Style shouldn't matter more than substance, although for today's attention deficit media consumers it may sadly be the case.