Shadow cabinet posts

Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Acting 11 May 2010 – 25 September 2010
Leader	Harriet Harman (acting)
Preceded by	William Hague
Succeeded by	Harriet Harman
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Shadow Lord Chancellor
In office 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010
Leader	Harriet Harman (acting)
Preceded by	Dominic Grieve
Succeeded by	Sadiq Khan
Shadow Home Secretary
In office 20 October 1994 – 2 May 1997
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Tony Blair
Succeeded by	Michael Howard
Shadow Minister for Local Government and Housing
In office 24 July 1992 – 20 October 1994
Leader	John Smith Margaret Beckett (acting)
Preceded by	Eric Heffer
Succeeded by	Nick Raynsford
Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science
In office 13 July 1987 – 18 July 1992
Leader	Neil Kinnock
Preceded by	Giles Radice
Succeeded by	Ann Taylor

Member of Parliament
for Blackburn

In office
3 May 1979 – 30 March 2015

Preceded by

Barbara Castle

Succeeded by

Kate Hollern

Personal details

Born

John Whitaker Straw

3 August 1946 (age 79)
Buckhurst Hill, Essex, England

Political party

Labour

Spouses

Anthea Weston

(m. 1968; div. 1977)

Alice Perkins

(m. 1978)

Children

3; including Will

Education

Brentwood School

Alma mater

University of Leeds
Inns of Court School of Law

Signature

Jack Straw (born 3 August 1946) is a British politician. He was a very important member of the UK government for many years. He served in the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010. During this time, he worked under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

He held two of the most important government jobs: Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001, and Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn from 1979 to 2015. This means he represented the people of Blackburn in the UK Parliament for 36 years.

Early Life and Education
Early Political Career (1979–1997)
Home Secretary (1997–2001)
- Important Inquiries and Reforms
Foreign Secretary (2001–2006)
- International Relations and Challenges
Leader of the House of Commons (2006–2007)
- Debate on Veils
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (2007–2010)
Later Career and Retirement
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Jack Straw was born in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, England. His father was an insurance clerk, and his mother was a teacher. After his father left, Jack was raised by his mother on a council estate in Loughton.

He was known as John to his family. However, he started calling himself Jack at school. This was a reference to Jack Straw, a leader from the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

Jack Straw went to Oaklands School and then Brentwood School. He later studied Law at the University of Leeds. He also trained to be a barrister, which is a type of lawyer.

While at university, he was elected president of the Leeds University Union. He also became president of the National Union of Students (NUS) in 1969, a role he held until 1971. From 1971 to 1978, he was a Labour councillor in the London Borough of Islington.

Before becoming an MP, he worked as an adviser to important government ministers like Barbara Castle and Peter Shore. He also worked as a researcher for the TV series World in Action.

Early Political Career (1979–1997)

Jack Straw first tried to become an MP in 1974 but was not successful. In 1977, he was chosen to represent the Blackburn area for the Labour Party. He won this seat in the 1979 general election.

In Parliament, he quickly became an important voice for the Labour Party. His first role in the Shadow Cabinet was as Shadow Education Secretary from 1987 to 1992. The Shadow Cabinet is a group of opposition MPs who "shadow" government ministers.

He also served as Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment from 1992 to 1994. When Tony Blair became the leader of the Labour Party, he chose Jack Straw to be the Shadow Home Secretary. In this role, Jack Straw focused on making sure Labour was seen as tough on crime.

Home Secretary (1997–2001)

After the Labour Party won the 1997 general election, Jack Straw became the Home Secretary. This is a very important job, responsible for policing, security, and immigration in the UK.

During his time as Home Secretary, he introduced the Human Rights Act 1998. This law brought the European Convention on Human Rights into British law. It also officially ended the death penalty in the UK.

Important Inquiries and Reforms

Jack Straw was involved in several important investigations. In 1997, he ordered a review into the Hillsborough disaster. This was a football stadium tragedy where many people died. He later apologized for the review's shortcomings.

He also ordered a public inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence. This inquiry found that the police investigation was not done well. It also concluded that the police force was "institutionally racist". This report led to big changes in policing and the law. For example, it helped change the "double jeopardy" rule, which meant someone could be tried again for murder if new, strong evidence appeared.

As Home Secretary, he also helped change the electoral system for European Parliament elections. He aimed to make the voting system fairer.

Foreign Secretary (2001–2006)

In 2001, Jack Straw became the Foreign Secretary. This role involves dealing with other countries and representing the UK around the world.

Soon after he started, the September 11 attacks happened in the United States. Jack Straw strongly condemned these attacks. He supported the US in its efforts to fight terrorism. He also visited Iran, becoming the first senior British minister to do so since 1979.

International Relations and Challenges

As Foreign Secretary, he was involved in discussions about the Iraq War. He later said that deciding to go to war was the "most difficult decision" of his life. He also gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry, which looked into the reasons for the war.

He also faced challenges regarding the 2002 Gujarat riots in India. He expressed concern about the violence and human rights issues there. In 2004, he was criticized for granting asylum to Akhmed Zakayev, a Chechen spokesperson.

In 2006, Jack Straw spoke out about the 2006 Lebanon War. He warned that Israel's military actions could make the situation in Lebanon worse.

Leader of the House of Commons (2006–2007)

In 2006, Tony Blair moved Jack Straw to the role of Leader of the House of Commons. This job involves managing the government's business in Parliament. He was also made Lord Privy Seal.

In this role, he was responsible for reforms to the House of Lords and how political parties are funded. He also led efforts to change rules about Freedom of Information requests.

Debate on Veils

In October 2006, Jack Straw caused a discussion when he said that Muslim women who wear full face veils (the niqab) can make it harder for people from different communities to connect. He said he preferred if women did not wear them, but he did not support a law banning them. He explained that he would ask women visiting him in his local office to uncover their faces so they could communicate better. This led to a big debate in the UK.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (2007–2010)

When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, Jack Straw was appointed Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and Secretary of State for Justice. This was a very important role, combining two major government positions. He was the first Lord Chancellor in centuries to also be a Member of Parliament.

He was one of only three politicians who served in the Cabinet continuously throughout the Labour government from 1997 to 2010.

In 2009, he was involved in a controversial TV debate on Question Time. He debated with the leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin.

Later Career and Retirement

In 2010, after the Labour Party lost the general election, Jack Straw decided to step down from his front-bench role. He wanted to allow new leaders to emerge in the Labour Party. He continued to be an MP for Blackburn until 2015.

After leaving the front bench, he took on other roles. He became a consultant for a British company called ED&F Man Holdings Ltd. He also became a visiting professor at University College London.

In 2013, he announced that he would not stand for re-election as an MP in the next election. He officially retired from Parliament in 2015.

In 2025, he publicly suggested that the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). He believed that the UK's own Human Rights Act was enough to protect rights.

Personal Life

Jack Straw has been married twice. His first marriage to Anthea Weston ended in 1977. They had a daughter, Rachel, who sadly passed away shortly after birth. In 1978, he married Alice Perkins, who was a senior civil servant. They have two adult children, Will and Charlotte.

Jack Straw is a big fan of his local football team, Blackburn Rovers. He was made an honorary vice-president of the club in 1998. In 2015, he was given the Freedom of the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen, which is a special honor from his local area.

Images for kids

Straw appears at a press conference with United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
Straw meets with US Deputy Secretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz and UK Ambassador to the US Christopher Meyer in 2001.
Straw canvassing with local councillors in Blackburn