The Labour leader and his wife attend the Eras Tour show at Wembley Stadium, with fans joking the PM hopeful was about to “shake off 14 years” of Tory rule.
By Faye Brown, Political reporter @fayebrownSky
Sir Keir Starmer said Taylor Swift was “absolutely fantastic” after attending her Friday night concert at Wembley Stadium.
The Labour leader took a break from the campaign trail to attend the first night of the London leg of the American pop star’s record-breaking Eras tour.
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However he couldn’t resist mixing pop with politics when asked what his favourite song of hers is.
He told reporters on Saturday: “I know I will be asked what is my favourite song and I am not going to pretend I have got every album and know every song, although Change is the one for obvious reasons.”
The Labour manifesto, entitled Change, shares its name with a song from Swift’s 2008 album Fearless.
Sir Keir added: “What I learned last night is my daughter knows every album, every song, and every word of every song, and she wasn’t alone among the teenage girls who were there.
“It was utterly brilliant.”
Swift is performing three gigs in the capital this weekend – before returning to the venue in August for a further five.
Last night Sir Keir posted a picture alongside his wife Victoria on X with the caption: “Swift campaign pitstop.”
Referring to some of Swift’s song titles, fans joined in on the puns including: “Change (Keir’s Version)” and “I Can Fix The Country (No Really I Can)”.
Others quipped that the PM hopeful was “about to ‘shake off’ 14 years of Tory chaos” and that it had been a “Cruel Summer” for his political opponent Rishi Sunak.
Sir Keir, currently 20-points ahead in the polls, has previously spoken about his love for music, naming Northern soul among his favourite genres, though he recently told The Financial Times that rapper Stormzy’s last album is “my favourite album at the moment”.
The Labour leader joins the prime minister in revealing an enjoyment of the singer’s music.
Rishi Sunak is known to have attended a Swift gig during a visit to California last summer.
But the Tory leader has said on the campaign trail he does not meet the threshold to be considered a “Swiftie” in the eyes of his two daughters.
Sir Keir was not the only famous face in attendance at Swift’s concert.
The singer was supported by her NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce, while Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan and model Cara Delevingne were also among the star-studded crowd.
Prince William was also seen dancing to “Shake it Off” to celebrate his 42nd birthday and this afternoon shared a photo of the pop superstar taking a selfie with him and his children George and Charlotte.
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Swift will return to the 90,000-capacity venue on Saturday evening and Sunday before moving on to mainland Europe, coming back to Wembley for another five dates in August.
Londoners have waited more than a year for the show to arrive after she kicked off her marathon string of dates in Glendale, Arizona, in March 2023.
She played three sold-out shows at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh earlier this month, followed by three at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool and one night at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Taylor-mania has taken hold of London in recent days, with the city’s iconic Tube map redrawn to celebrate her arrival.
Swift-fever even spread to Buckingham Palace earlier on Friday where Shake It Off was played at the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony.
It was revealed on Thursday that Swift’s fans were expected to boost the London economy by £300m as the capital hosts more Eras Tour shows than any other city in the world, with nearly 640,000 people expected to attend across the eight dates.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.