ONE of Britain’s highest profile political biographers is on a mission to expose Sir Keir Starmer’s most closely guarded secrets.

Lord Ashcroft, who sent shockwaves through Westminster with his deep dives into the lives of David Cameron and Angela Rayner, is at work on a fully revised edition of Red Knight, his biography of Sir Keir.

The famously private PM can expect the political blockbuster to land in the spring – and he will probably await its publication with gritted teeth.

A publishing source said the Labour leader “instructed friends and colleagues not to cooperate” with Lord Ashcroft when he wrote the original biography.

Arguing that “the question of why Starmer was so reluctant to face scrutiny in Red Knight remains,” the source asked: “Was he hiding something?”

Tory peer Lord Ashcroft said: “Three years after the publication of Red Knight, my unauthorised biography of Sir Keir Starmer, I have decided to fully revise and update it.
Having gone from Leader of the Opposition to Downing Street in the space of 50 months, Starmer can obviously claim to have returned the Labour party into a credible electoral force.
“And yet it’s clear that many voters feel they still don’t quite know – or trust – this former lawyer. The new book will pick up where its predecessor left off in order to shed more light on the PM’s personality, explain how he gained the highest elected office in the land, consider how he is handling life running the country – and judge whether he is doing a good job.”

A Labour MP poked fun at Sir Keir’s staid reputation, saying: “I’m hoping for some scandal just to make him look interesting.”

The publishing source said: “Early research has confirmed there are still a number of areas from his life that warrant scrutiny. The new book will also be able to measure the promises Starmer made in the run-up to the election against the reality of whether he has delivered.

“Starmer is in a sense a very unlikely politician. He came to politics late, he is not a natural showman and he seems far more thin-skinned than you would expect. Putting him under the microscope again will be a rewarding exercise – and one that is firmly in the public interest.”

The book could make political waves if it lands on shelves ahead of May’s council election. This will be a key test of the Government’s popularity as it approaches its first anniversary in power.

A Labour MP who is braced for a bruising election said: “Going forward now, Labour is in power at every level of Government. I think there is bound to be a massive backlash against him.”

Lord Ashcroft’s biography of David Cameron, Call Me Dave, made headlines with its portrayal of the Tory leader’s university years. His study of Angela Rayner, Red Queen?, triggered intense scrutiny of her sale of her former council house.

He has also written books examining Boris and Carrie Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Rishi Sunak.