UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The British prime minister has paid tribute to his brother Nick, who died on Boxing Day from Cancer at the age of 60.
Sir Starmer stated,
“My brother Nick was a wonderful man. He met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour. We will miss him very much.”
He thanked all the medical staff who treated and supported his brother and also appreciated their kindness and expertise.
A spokesperson of Sir Keir said,
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Nick Starmer,”
adding,
“Nick, 60, died peacefully on the afternoon of 26 December after battling cancer,”
and also requested privacy for Nick’s extended family during this time.
The PM, Sir Keir Starmer, values his family’s privacy, especially that of his children, but he has openly discussed his brother Nick and shared details of his relationships with siblings in interviews and a biography.
Although the PM was ready to go on vacation with his family on Friday, it is now believed he will stay home instead due to his brother’s death.
Sir Keir is one of four siblings, he has two sisters, Ana and Katy, and a younger brother Nick, who is Katy’s twin. They all grew up in a family of six, living together with their parents.
He stated in Tom Baldwin’s Keir Starmer: The Biography,
“I shared a bunk bed with my brother in a room with an airing cupboard and just enough space for a couple of small desks where we’d do our homework.”
Nick, his younger brother, had issues with learning since his birth.
The prime minister talked openly about his relationship with Nick in a new biography saying,
“We were a family of six, so it never felt lonely. I shared a room with Nick, but he didn’t have many friends, and other kids called him ‘thick’ or ‘stupid.”
He praised his brother for achieving a technical education, stating he respected his journey despite their differences. Sir Keir also recalled his parents, Rodney and Jo, for teaching him the value of honouring others for their diligence.
During the local election campaign, Sir Starmer visited his brother in the hospital many times, using a back gate of the hospital to avoid the press.
At Nick’s wedding, Starmer described how he borrowed a car for the event so Nick would not have to drive his bride to his shabby minivan, which was packed with his clothes in the back.
Sir Keir said during the interview that on the hectic wedding day, he realized that no reception had been planned. He went to Tesco and bought every sandwich to set up a sudden gathering in Nick’s garden.
Just before Keir Starmer was preparing for his first abroad holiday with his family since taking office, Nick passed away.
The prime minister had celebrated Christmas at Chequers with his family.
This was the second time he was not going on vacation, the first time he planned to take a holiday in August but delayed his tour due to the unrest.