Starmer donates biography of himself to Downing Street library

A book detailing the life of Sir Keir Starmer has become the newest addition to the Downing Street library, having been personally donated by Sir Keir himself. Keir Starmer: The Biography, written by journalist and former Labour adviser Tom Baldwin, has joined a collection of more than 400 volumes.

Some of these books are housed in two bookcases located within Downing Street's Cabinet Room. The library itself was founded back in 1931 by Ramsay MacDonald, the first Labour Prime Minister, who invited subsequent prime ministers and ministers to contribute special volumes.

Seven ministers who served under Sir Keir's administration have also placed books onto the shelves:

• Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves contributed her book Alice in Westminster: The political life of Alice Bacon
• Darren Jones donated Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home by Pope Francis
• Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy offered her publication All In: How we build a country that works
• Nick Thomas-Symonds chose a biography of former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson
• Bridget Phillipson selected Choose Freedom: The Future for Democratic Socialism by Roy Hattersley
• Former Wales Secretary Jo Stevens provided The Fed: a history of the South Wales miners in the twentieth century
• Treasury minister James Murray donated Instruction to Deliver by Sir Michael Barber

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

As Labour leader, Sir Keir was not previously known as an avid reader of fiction; during a 2024 interview, he struggled to name a favorite novel and famously chose an atlas when appearing on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. In contrast, historical figures and other leaders contributed works matching their deep personal interests, such as Winston Churchill donating his history book The World Crisis, 1911-18, and Margaret Thatcher offering her memoir The Downing Street Years.

Extensive research into the library has been conducted by Politics Professor Clement Macintyre from Adelaide University. He noted that prior to the 1930s, Downing Street lacked a substantial book collection, with earlier prime ministers like Stanley Baldwin relying on public libraries for fact-checking. The tradition of expanding the library has fluctuated over decades, seeing recent revivals under prime ministers like Boris Johnson, who donated his own book, The Churchill Factor.

Source: BBC Politics