Digested week: Starmer is trying to carve out his legacy – but it’s not his to write | John Crace

Keir Starmer at cabinet: ‘Has anyone seen John Healey recently?’ Photograph: Ben Stansall/PA View image in fullscreen Keir Starmer at cabinet: ‘Has anyone seen John Healey recently?’ Photograph: Ben Stansall/PA Digested week: Starmer is trying to carve out his legacy – but it’s not his to write John Crace Plus, Brexit at 10, dinner as protest, 100 best novels and not watching the World Cup (yet) Monday We’re approaching the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum. Documentaries are being aired and newspaper features are being written. But one thing seems to be missing. Why aren’t all those big names who campaigned for Brexit back in 2016 now shouting from the rooftops about what a great success it has been? It’s almost as if they are ashamed of it. Nigel Farage just moans about it having been done wrong. Although he isn’t particularly illuminating about what the right way would have been. Boris Johnson gave a few clips to the BBC in which he repeated a few tired anecdotes about the tennis match with David Cameron where Dave promised him a top job in return for backing remain. But on the long-term economic, social and international impact of leaving the EU? A wall of silence. I remember going to a press conference on the morning of 24 June at the Vote Leave headquarters. The event started half an hour late and I described Boris and Michael Gove looking like they had spent the night taking psychedelic drugs and had woken to discover they had murdered their best friend. To this day, Boris insists it was Cameron’s fault for not having prepared the government for Brexit. Johnson still refusing to accept responsibility for his own actions. Polls now suggest that most people reckon Brexit has been a mistake. All that’s missing is some accountability. Tuesday It’s one of life’s ironies that prime ministers are usually remembered for the things they would rather forget. Tony Blair will be haunted by the Iraq war. Gordon Brown didn’t call an election in 2007. David Cameron carelessly lost the EU referendum. Theresa May lost her majority in 2017 and couldn’t sort Brexit. Boris Johnson will always be associated with lying about almost everything. Liz Truss has her mini-budget. Rishi Sunak got soaked outside Downing Street as he called a general election. Yet, none of this seems to stop them trying to define their legacy as they sense they are approaching their last months in office. The official line from No 10 is that Keir Starmer will lead Labour into the next election and will be running the country for another decade or so. But Andy Burnham appears to be on course to win next week’s Makerfield byelection and he hasn’t given up being mayor of Greater Manchester just to be a backbench MP. Deep down, Keir knows his days are numbered, which is why he is desperately trying to carve out a legacy that goes beyond numerous U-turns, taking free suits and glasses and being a bit disappointing. This week, he used his speech at London Tech Week to talk tough to