John Whitaker Straw

Biography

Jack Straw was re-elected MP for Blackburn in May 2010 with a majority of 9,856 votes.

Jack Straw returned to the backbenches after the 2010 general election. Previously, he was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor in June 2007. Before then, he had been Leader of the House of Commons with responsibility for Lords Reform and Party Funding since May 2006.

As Secretary of State he chaired seven Cabinet committees, including Constitutional Affairs and the Legislative Programme committees, which have a central role in the development of the Government's programme. In addition, he was chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Modernisation.

Previously, Jack was Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, serving in that post from June 2001 until May 2006. He was born in 1946 and educated at Brentwood School, Essex, and Leeds University, where he was President of the Students' Union from 1967-1968. He was President of the National Union of Students from 1969-1971.

Fom 1971 to 1974 Jack was a member of the Inner London Education Authority and Deputy Leader from 1973 to 1974. Called to the Bar in 1972, Jack worked as a barrister from 1972-1974. He was subsequently special adviser to Barbara Castle as Secretary of State for Social Services from 1974-1976 and to Peter Shore as Secretary of State for the Environment from 1976-1977. He also worked for Granada Television's World in Action programme from 1977-1979.

Elected to Parliament to represent the Blackburn constituency in 1979, Jack served on the Opposition front bench from 1980 until 1997.

He was a spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs from 1980 to 1983 and on the environment between 1983 and 1987. He was Shadow Education Secretary from 1987 until 1992, Shadow Environment Secretary 1992-94 and Shadow Home Secretary 1994-97.

Jack became Home Secretary after the 1997 General Election, serving in the post until 2001 and his appointment to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

He is a visiting Fellow of Nuffield College Oxford and a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.

Jack is married with one son and one daughter. His recreations are walking, music, cooking puddings and supporting Blackburn Rovers.

Constituency

Blackburn

Twitter

Constituency Address

Richmond Chambers Richmond Terrace Blackburn, BB1 7AS

Constituency Tel

01254 52317

Date of Birth

3 August 1946

Email

blackburnlabour@hotmail.com

Party

Labour

Personal Website

http://blackburnlabour.org/

Westminster Address

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Westminster Tel

02072193000