'Keir Starmer managed a miracle that few politicians could have pulled off'

'Keir Starmer managed a miracle that few politicians could have pulled off' When he was elected Labour leader, he was handed a chalice so full of poison nobody could have predicted what Keir Starmer managed to achieve - and for that he should be remembered with honour Few politicians could have pulled off the miracle Keir Starmer managed Farewell from the Commons to Keir Starmer - and who could blame him? When he was elected Labour leader, the chalice he was handed was so full of poison, few could have predicted the speed and scale of the turnaround he oversaw. Yet he took Labour from basket case to landslide - a miracle that few politicians could have pulled off. But the job of Prime Minister takes its toll on even the most steadfast of leaders. Sir Keir and his family have had to deal with more than most, particularly the ordeal of being targeted with arson attacks soon after the election. It's not a huge surprise he came to the decision to leave Parliament behind him - but that's no slight on his commitment to public service. From defending human rights, civil liberties and striking miners in court, ensuring criminals are locked up as Britain's top prosecutor and leading Britain out of a decade of Tory neglect, his focus has always been on service. And he will no doubt continue this service in his next international role. However he fared as Prime Minister, as Andy Burnham said in the Commons yesterday, Keir Starmer's leadership created a Labour Government that has the capacity to change Britain for the better - and for that he should be remembered with honour. Everybody deserves to live and die in dignity and comfort Everyone deserves dignity and comfort in life - and that's no less true at the end of the journey. Reports of patients facing their final moments in crowded corridors, bathrooms or hospital kitchens are hard to read. And there's no single cause - with clinicians blaming staff shortages, lack of planning and resources being blamed for the harrowing incidents. The Government is taking a long hard look at making the NHS fit for the modern age - saving more lives and curing more diseases than ever. But that must include compassionate, pragmatic thinking about how best to ensure as many as possible of those reaching the end of the journey do so peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. Hollywood will never top hero Richard's war stories War hero Richard Brock thought he was done for at just 20 years old, as he waited nervously to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Now 102, he tells the story with a vividness and clarity that no Hollywood blockbuster could ever match - though many have tried. It's a gift to the world that he's still around to tell the tale.