Who was Sir Keir’s brother Nick? Late sibling referenced at the Labour Conference
Nick Starmer passed, aged 60, last Christmas - but still fondly remembered by PM
Sir Keir Starmer is well known for making reference to his father in his speeches, but at the Labour Party Conference, he used his keynote speech to note his late brother.
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Before the audience in Liverpool, the prime minister spoke about Nick Starmer, his younger sibling, who died at the age of 60 on Boxing Day, 2024.
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He spoke about how he had been the first of his households go to university, and how this can be out of reach for many working class families, and paid tribute to his sister, a care worker.
“I know I could never do it in the way that she does,” he said.
“And then I think about my brother. He was failed. He had difficulties learning. He was badly failed by the education system.
“He was put to one side, barely even seen.”
He added: “What I want is a Britain where people are treated with the dignity that they deserve for making different choices.
“Choices our country needs, we should value. Choices that deserve our respect. And so, conference, while you will never hear me denigrate the aspiration to go to university.”
He went on to reveal an ambition for two-thirds of students to go to university or receive gold standard apprenticeships.
But who was Nick Starmer?
Who was Nick Starmer?
Nick Starmer passed on December 26 last year, having lost his battle to cancer.
He had been treated at a hospital in Leeds and it is understood that Sir Keir often visited, but did not want to publicise these visits.
Tom Baldwin, the prime minister’s biographer, said: "He went to see Nick dozens of times without cameras, without microphones, because Nick was very important to him."
Sir Keir has previously said that his brother had learning difficulties and was bullied at school.
"Nick was dealt a very different set of cards to me and he's had problems all his life - problems I've never had to face,” Sir Keir said.
He added that his father Rodney had told him that Nick had achieved just as much as he had.
"My brother Nick was a wonderful man," Starmer said in a statement.
"He met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour. We will miss him very much."
