A look at Labour's Keir Starmer and former PM Gordon Brown's relationship as pair seem to grow closer

There's a new political bromance in town between a former Prime Minister and another with his sights set on the top job. Sir Keir Starmer, current Labour leader and the former PM Gordon Brown seem to have a developing relationship.

That rapport seems to have been at its peak in recent days as Gordon introduced Keir at an event encouraging Scotland's union with the rest of Britain and gave his full backing for him to become the next prime minister of the UK.

On Monday, December 5 Keir and Gordon were outlining a vision of the UK with a decentralised style of governing, ensuring power was in the hands of locals.

Keir Starmer joined Brown for the launch of the former prime minister’s Commission on the UK’s Future, which makes recommendations on Lords reform, devolution of power and the future of the union.

The party's centrepiece involved mass transfer of power from Westminster to the people and their local areas, with Starmer saying “the centre hasn’t delivered”.

Brown recommended cultivating “300 emerging clusters of the new economy” and eliminating “Westminster and Whitehall bias and giving everywhere a fair share of our future prosperity”.

It all sounds great, in theory, and the two men are clearly enamoured with each others style of working.

Gordon Brown wields huge influence in Keir Starmer's Labour party of 2022. They seek to have a vote-winning policy agenda and have turned to the incredibly knowledgeable and experienced former PM for guidance.

Brown has been described as an 'enormous brain' and he was a huge global player in rescuing the world banks from disaster during the economic crash of 2007-2008. He was pivotal in the bank rescue package in 2008.

With the cost of living crisis and the economic down-turn since Putin's war on Ukraine, combined with Liz Truss and her disastrous 44 days in power leading to several years of fall-out we have ahead, it's no wonder that Gordon Brown is a man you would want to consult.

Brown famously had a love-hate relationship with former PM Tony Blair, as the two men both wanted the top job and yet balanced each other in terms of character traits and policies.

In Keir he's found a more kindred spirit. The former QC who has been leading the Labour party since 2020 is known for holding the latest PM to account. Keir is on his third Tory PM since he took charge of Labour.

Sir Keir suggested the move, along with all other proposals in the report, could be achieved within Labour’s first term.

He insisted that his new commission would not be a 'talking shop', as he stressed the focus on sweeping constitutional reforms 'could not be more relevant'.

"I’m fed up to the back teeth with sticking plasters for the problems we have got,” he said. "The underlying problem is our economy isn’t working."

Keir and Gordon have been photographed at many of the same events in the last year, as both men hold positions where attendance at things such as the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II would be vital in their roles, current and previous.

They'll be many more opportunities for these men to work together before the next General Election in two years. Time will tell if they achieve their main aims of victory for Labour and retaining Scotland in the UK.