Jack Straw
At last. Some right thinking on Iran
At last some leadership on Iran. And from the Conservative benches. After last week’s appalling Jack Straw piece in the Telegraph, the Conservative MP James Morris has a brilliant and… Continue reading
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The Iraq fury still burns, fuelled by unanswered questions
I was fascinated to read the reaction to Nick Cohen’s article expressing his view that after 10 years he still believed the invasion of Iraq was the right thing to… Continue reading
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Jack Straw’s parting gift
Jack Straw cropped up in the Telegraph yesterday claiming that even if Iran does acquire nuclear weapons it wouldn’t be worth going to war over. This, it will be remembered,… Continue reading
38 CommentsThe dirty secrets of ‘no win no fee’
Jack Straw’s column in the Times today (£) contains the following revelation: ‘Our records indicate that you may be entitled to £3,450 for the accident you had. To claim free… Continue reading
25 CommentsHoban wobbles in the House
Mark Hoban has just turned in a remarkably unconvincing performance at the despatch box. Summoned to the Commons to answer an urgent question from Gisela Stuart, one of the best… Continue reading
25 CommentsClarke’s crimes
One of the Conservative leadership’s worries at the moment is that the party is losing its reputation for being tough on crime. So it won’t welcome today’s Daily Mail splash… Continue reading
28 CommentsKhan comes to Ken Clarke’s support (kinda)
When it comes to the overall sway of British politics, Sadiq Khan’s article for the Guardian is probably the most important of the day. We’ve heard Ed Miliband say before… Continue reading
11 CommentsIn their own words…
Parliament will debate a prisoner’s right to vote tonight, to satisfy the ECHR’s now infamous judgement. Jack Straw and David Davis, the progenitors of tonight’s discussion, have taken time to… Continue reading
9 CommentsDoubts remain over al-Megrahi
The morning after the day before, it seems that some of the murk around Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s release has lifted. In particular, one thing is explicit that wasn’t before: that the… Continue reading
34 CommentsBringing rights back home
Thursday’s debate on the backbench motion on prisoner voting tabled by Jack Straw and David Davis is set to be a real parliamentary event – a rare occasion where the… Continue reading
24 CommentsDavis and Straw unite against prisoner voting rights
David Davis and Jack Straw have joined forces to resist the enforcement of prisoner voting rights, an emotive issue bequeathed to the hapless coalition by the previous government. Beside the… Continue reading
31 CommentsConfronting terror at home
As Julian Glover notes, Jack Straw let the cat out of the bag. ‘Never, ever, downplay the possible consequences,’ he says. The coverage of the recent bomb plot has largely… Continue reading
24 CommentsA miracle! And a good idea
I’m not sure if the sun will ever rise in the east again: Michael Howard has supported a Ken Clarke prison policy. The Justice Secretary has launched a pilot scheme… Continue reading
15 CommentsWe are not amused
Let’s face it. This wasn’t a classic. Today’s PMQs featured a duel of the deputies. Nick Clegg, who leads part of the government, faced Jack Straw who’s so far from… Continue reading
9 CommentsPMQs live blog
Stay tuned for live coverage of Clegg vs Straw from 1200. 1201: And here we go. Clegg begins by passing on his best wishes to David Cameron and his family.… Continue reading
16 CommentsClegg versus Straw – the re-match
David Cameron’s father has suffered a stroke on holiday in France and so the PM is, understandably, travelling out there to be with him. This means that Nick Clegg will… Continue reading
3 CommentsSystem failure aids another EU power-grab
David Cameron’s so-called “referendum lock" is supposed to ensure no more powers are handed to the EU. His thinking, bless him, is that if he just keeps a low profile… Continue reading
43 CommentsAlready, the anti-war lawyers leap on Clegg’s slip
Never one to miss the bus, Phillipe Sands QC has informed the Guardian that an international court would be ‘interested’ in Nick Clegg’s view that the Iraq War was illegal.… Continue reading
25 CommentsClegg’s revolution
At last, Nick Clegg got his chance to pretend to be PM today and he used it to give a dazzling impression of Gordon Brown. Opposing him, Jack Straw was… Continue reading
8 CommentsClegg’s only blemish
Nick Clegg comfortably got through his first appearance standing in for David Cameron at PMQs. He was helped by a poor performance by Jack Straw, who made Neil Kinnock look… Continue reading
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