A biography of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has become the latest addition to the Downing Street library, following a donation from Starmer himself. The book, "Keir Starmer: The Biography," written by journalist Tom Baldwin, now joins a collection exceeding 400 volumes.
The Downing Street library was founded in 1931 by Ramsay MacDonald, Britain's first Labour Prime Minister. Since its inception, prime ministers and ministers have been encouraged to contribute to the collection. Seven ministers who served in Starmer's government have also made additions to the library.
Recent contributions include former Chancellor Rachel Reeves' "Alice in Westminster: The political life of Alice Bacon." Darren Jones, who held a senior ministerial role between 2024 and 2026, donated Pope Francis' "Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home," a work advocating for environmental protection. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy offered her book, "All In: How we build a country that works," while Nick Thomas-Symonds, a former Cabinet Office minister, contributed his own biography of former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
Additionally, Bridget Phillipson, who served as Minister for Women and Equalities, selected "Choose Freedom: The Future for Democratic Socialism" by Roy Hattersley, a former Labour deputy leader. Former Wales Secretary Jo Stevens gifted "The Fed: a history of the South Wales miners in the twentieth century" by Hywel Francis and David Smith. Treasury minister James Murray donated "Instruction to Deliver," a book by Sir Michael Barber detailing his experiences as a civil servant under Tony Blair.
During his time as Labour leader prior to becoming Prime Minister, Starmer reportedly did not appear to be an avid reader. An interview in 2024 saw him struggle to name a favorite novel, and on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs," he selected an atlas as his chosen book. In contrast, his successor, Andy Burnham, an English Literature graduate, has publicly expressed an affinity for poetry, particularly the works of Tony Harrison and Philip Larkin.