Keir Starmer has paid tribute to his brother Nick, who had cancer and died as a boxer aged 60.
The prime minister described his younger brother as a “wonderful man” who “faced all the challenges life threw at him with courage and humour”.
He said in his eulogy: “I would like to thank everyone who treated and cared for Nick. Their skill and compassion are highly praised.
Starmer was due to go on holiday with his family on Friday but is now staying at home.
A spokesman for the prime minister said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Nick Starmer. Nick, 60, passed away peacefully on the afternoon of December 26 after battling cancer. We are asking for privacy from Nick’s wider family at this time.
Starmer has into the past about protection versus Nick, who developed learning difficulties after complications at birth.
At school, Nick was labeled a “druggie” and said he could never read, even though it proved to be bad. He was sent to a special group that took lessons in the village hall and did not sit for tests, he left school without any formal reasons.
Later he got a technical degree and worked on small cars and pegmat, but he worked hard in life. His ongoing health problems made it difficult for him to hold a long-term job.
In a biography written by Tom Baldwin, Starmer recounts how he and his sisters came together to protect Nick from bullies at school. Two brothers he shared a refugee bed in a small room until Keir went to the academy at the age of 18.
“We were a family of six, so I didn’t feel alone and I shared a room with him, but Nick didn’t have many friends and was called ‘dense’ or ‘stupid’ by the other kids,” said Baldwin Starmer. “Even now I try to avoid using words to describe anyone.”
Starmer’s secret took time out during the 2022 local election campaign to make several visits to Nick in Leeds after he became seriously ill and almost died.
The prime minister used his brother’s story as an example of how working class people don’t always go on to lead more comfortable lives than their parents.
Speaking about his brother’s experience, he said: “The whole thing is so serious… Nick’s had a really tough life. So our mum and dad’s dream didn’t come true for us. This is true, I have a great sadness about my brother and them.
He recalled how his father, Rodney, often told him, “Nick, as much as you did Keir,” how much harder obstacles he had to overcome.
Sister Katy Starmer, Nick’s twin, worked as a nurse and now works with adults who have Down syndrome. Anna, the older sister, went to horticultural college before raising a family and going on to work at a garden center.
In Baldwin Starmer’s life, he recalled being the best man at Nick’s wedding and borrowed a car for the day so Nick wouldn’t be left “he drove his bride from the church in a beat-up minivan that had all her clothes in the back.”
On the day Starmer was caught receiving nothing as planned, he rushed to Tesco to buy sandwiches for a hasty composition in Nick’s garden.