Thank you Mr Straw

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

I’ve always had a soft spot for Jack Straw. Perhaps it began as a child when I became briefly convinced that he was the same person as Terrence Hardiman, the star of kids TV show “The Demon Headmaster”. As he announces (as anticipated) that he won’t be seeking to return to the Shadow Cabinet, it only seems right to consider the career of a politician with real staying power – and to say thank you for a lifetime given to the Labour Party.

Quiet and methodical, yet forceful and committed, Straw has often exhibited what I thought were many of the key traits of being a politician. He has always shown a strong mastery of his brief, despite holding several diverse (and yet always significant) positions. His demeanour inspires trust, and he has been trusted by Labour leaders for over twenty years with major offices of party and state – holding a cabinet role throughout Labour’s thirteen years in power.

Perhaps what has impressed me most about Straw though is not his work on the national or international stage – but his constituency work in Blackburn. Despite not being from the area, Straw took the place to his heart. His distinctive “soapbox” routine in Blackburn town centre (where he stands on a box and invites questions from all comers) is a political feat that few other politicians would even consider, nevermind attempt. And yet Straw continues to do so to this day, despite having been one of the most recognisable people in the country for well over a decade.

Sometimes it can seen that people, and the party, have overlooked him. Although tipped at times as a possible stand-in leader, he has – perhaps unfairly – never been considered as a real possibility for leadership of the party he has served with distinction since the 1970’s. Perhaps it is something about that trustworthy demeanour – calm and unassuming, lacking the bluster or egotism of many of his peers – that has led some to assume that he is better suited to the role of reliable deputy, rather than leader of men.

It is worth remembering though that this party loyalist was once a young radical – storming to the presidency of the NUS on the back of a determination to make the student group discuss wider political issues, after two unsuccessful attempts. Whilst a student at Leeds, Straw was branded “troublemaker acting with malice aforethought” by the Foreign Office, and even split the university Labour club from the Labour Party.

Of course now is the right time for Straw to step back from the cut and thrust of front line politics. After over twenty years at the top, and with the possibility of a return to the upper echelons of the cabinet looking remote, it is right that Straw (as well as Darling, Brown, Blunkett and many other former ministers) should move on and create the space in which the cabinet members of the future can thrive. But it should be hoped that he serves the entirety of his term as MP, staying in Westminster to advise those who would replace him. Few have been there and done it as much as Jack Straw, and his advice should be seen as invaluable.

A retired civil servant who I knew briefly once referred to Jack Straw as the finest politician he had ever worked with – if not the finest man. While there have often been times that I have disagreed with him, or felt that his unstinting loyalty was leading him down the wrong path – with his role in the Iraq war meeting both of these criteria. Yet I’ve never completely been able to shake that feeling of trust in the man – and that is a gift that few have.

When history comes to judge Jack Straw, I believe he’ll be thought of well. The man who was there throughout Labour’s time in government, who put aside the politicing of the time and served with distinction, loyalty and dedication. A man for all political seasons. It’s the right time for him to go – but let’s not pretend he won’t be missed.