Keir Starmer came to Derry a few years ago and visited the seat of the high kings. The trip took place a few years before he became leader of the Labour Party.
On a blustery afternoon, he travelled to the fort at Grianán of Aileach, which sits on a hill overlooking both Derry and Donegal and which mythology tells us was an ancient seat of kings of Ulster.
From that elevated site, you can simultaneously view Lough Foyle in the north of Ireland and Lough Swilly in the south of Ireland. Stammer claimed that he had some notion of the history of the area, as he and his wife had spent part of their honeymoon travelling throughout this terrain.
It was at a time when few, if any, would have predicted that he would become leader of the Labour Party and, if the polls are right, the next prime minister.
He wasn’t born into politics and he had not, by then, grown a politically adept persona. He was accompanied by a Labour MP, Jenny Chapman, who eventually led his leadership campaign, lost her seat in the Commons and was appointed to the House of Lords.
Jenny is a warm, gregarious person, prepared to tell anyone who would listen that Starmer was a good and honourable man, who would make a great politician. The few staff who accompanied them were also very positive about Starmer and his ability.
His ability I had already witnessed. He had applied and been given the role as the first human rights lawyer to the first Policing Board. Everything he touched had ability attached to it.
But I must admit that I never saw him as a politician, in ambition or in personality. Some described him as cold, which is a wrong assessment. But he is slightly emotionally detached, very disciplined and focused, so that there is little room for spontaneity and banter, qualities that are attractive in a media-dominated world.
Then again, there are plenty examples of leaders coming down with spontaneity and banter and who are damn bad politicians.
But I was surprised when I read that he was standing for politics. I was more surprised that he was putting himself forward for the leadership of Labour.
I was surprised when I read that he was standing for politics. I was more surprised that he was putting himself forward for the leadership of Labour
Strangely, I was less surprised that he led Labour from a position of being considered unelectable to a position that a landslide victory over the Conservative Party is now the prediction.
The accusation that he has sold his principles and his socialism and the promises he made when Jeremy Corbyn was leader are bland and silly. Anyone who has tried to lead 10 people on a project, never mind a political party, knows how intertwined are values and compromises.
The arrogance, the incompetence and the divisions of the Conservatives was, of course, a great help but I have to think that many of the characteristics that I once thought would prohibit Kier Starmer from becoming an interesting politician – detachment, discipline, persistence and determination in completing a task successfully – were the very ones that have out-performed his weaker characteristics. Hopefully, we can depend on Jenny Chapman and others to provide the spontaneity and the warmth when he becomes prime minister.
I wish I could tell you what he really thinks about the constitutional debate here in Ireland, about UK unity or Irish unity. Or what a government that he would lead would do to bring our debate to a final resolution.
But that day up at Grianán of Aileach, the issue and the questions were all about Brexit. And, of course, it was well known then that he was strongly against leaving the European Union. And it is even better known that a honeymoon is not the best time to learn about the history of Ireland.
So we are all going to have to wait a time yet to get the answers to that debate.