Sir Keir Starmer has donated his own biography to the historic Downing Street library, adding to a collection of more than 400 volumes that has been shaped by prime ministers and ministers since 1931. The book, Keir Starmer: The Biography, was written by journalist and former Labour adviser Tom Baldwin and was placed in the library located in the Cabinet Room of 10 Downing Street.
Tradition Dating Back to 1931
According to the BBC, the library was first established in 1931 by Ramsay MacDonald, the UK's first Labour Prime Minister. Since then, every prime minister and minister has been invited to contribute books, resulting in a collection that spans politics, philosophy, history, and personal interests. The shelves now feature contributions from several of Starmer's former ministers alongside works by past prime ministers.
The donation continues a tradition that has seen the library grow into a reflection of the diverse passions of Britain's leaders, from political memoirs to poetry and even books on birds and wine.
Ministers Add Their Own Books
Seven ministers from Sir Keir's government also made donations to the library:
- Rachel Reeves – Alice in Westminster: The political life of Alice Bacon
- Darren Jones – Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home by Pope Francis
- Lisa Nandy – All In: How we build a country that works
- Nick Thomas-Symonds – Biography of Harold Wilson
- Bridget Phillipson – Choose Freedom: The Future for Democratic Socialism by Roy Hattersley
- Jo Stevens – The Fed: A history of the South Wales miners in the twentieth century
- James Murray – Instruction to Deliver by Sir Michael Barber
Starmer's Reading Habits and Historic Contributions
As Labour leader, Sir Keir was not widely seen as a keen reader. In a 2024 interview, he struggled to name a favourite novel. On BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, he famously chose an atlas as the book he would take with him. By contrast, his successor Andy Burnham, an English Literature graduate, has spoken of his love for poetry, particularly works by Tony Harrison and Philip Larkin. While Burnham is unlikely to donate a book so early in his premiership, he inherits a library filled with eclectic titles.
The library also features works donated by past prime ministers and ministers, including Winston Churchill's The World Crisis, 1911-18, Clement Attlee's Purpose and Policy, Margaret Thatcher's The Downing Street Years, Ted Heath's books on music and sailing, and Harold Macmillan's Rudyard Kipling collection. Other quirky additions include Magic Symbols of the World by Pearl Binder, The Charm of Birds by Edward Grey, and Bridge is an Easy Game by Iain MacLeod, who inscribed: “Perhaps this is the only book in this library which will bring true profit to its readers.”
The Downing Street library remains a living tradition, reflecting the personalities, passions, and politics of those who have led and served the country. From heavyweight political texts to lighter works on birds, wine, and sailing, the shelves tell a story of Britain's leaders through the books they chose to share.
