Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan’s polemical take on politics, economics and foreign affairs

Goodbye to Jack Straw

Will we miss him? I won’t.

By Mehdi Hasan Published 07 August 2010 3:20

First Alistair Darling and now, surprise, surprise, Jack Straw. From the BBC website:

[The] former Labour cabinet member Jack Straw is to step down from his current role, ending 30 years of front-bench politics.

The Blackburn MP has held many of the top jobs in British politics, including foreign secretary and home secretary.

Elected to parliament in 1979 as the member for Blackburn, Straw was a campaign manager for Tony Blair's 1994 Labour leadership bid and then performed the same role again for Gordon Brown in 2007. He was one of only three people to have served in the cabinet continuously from Labour's victory in 1997 until its defeat in 2010 (the other two being Brown and Darling). He was once described by Sky's Adam Boulton as "the longest-serving British cabinet minister since Gladstone" and by the Evening Standard's David Cohen as "the longest-serving cabinet minister since Lloyd George", but both descriptions, as the Indie's John Rentoul has noted, are factually inaccurate.

I can't say I'm going to miss Straw. Nothing personal -- in fact, I'm a fan of his son (and potential replacement in Blackburn?) Will -- but, for a start, he is one of the so-called greybeards whom I blame, along with Geoff "I Want to Make Money" Hoon, for wrongly persuading Brown against going to the polls in the autumn of 2007. Labour would have won then, rather than lost in May 2010.

He is also a classic Labour tribalist who was a roadblock to electoral reform during the party's 13 years in office. I remember bumping into him outside the conference chamber in Brighton in September 2009, after Brown's speech, in which the then prime minister revealed that he had converted to AV only (rather than full proportional representation, as Alan Johnson, John Denham and other pluralists in the cabinet had been urging him to).

Straw couldn't hide the smile on his face as he briefed reporters. I suspect that even now, he is delighted at the prospect of Labour campaigning for a No vote in next year's AV referendum, due to the Lib-Con coalition's outrageous decision to bundle together electoral reform with the so-called equalisation and reduction in the number of Commons seats.

But there is one issue which, more than any other, will stain Straw's reputation for ever, and for which I, and others, will never forgive him. From the BBC again:

As foreign secretary, he played a central role in the decision to commit British troops to the US-led invasion of Iraq and in unsuccessful attempts to secure a second UN resolution on the eve of war.

In evidence to the Chilcot inquiry in January, he described his decision to back the 2003 war as the "most difficult" of his career, describing it as a "profoundly difficult political and moral dilemma".

In his evidence to the Iraq inquiry, Straw also admitted that he could have stopped the war if he had opposed the invasion in cabinet, but he chose to remain loyal to Tony Blair. In recent years, the former foreign secretary has tried to portray himself as some sort of reluctant supporter of the war, if not a sceptic. And yet, as a producer on the Jonathan Dimbleby programme between the years 2002 and 2004, I remember Straw appearing several times on the show to passionately, cogently and, of course, disingenuously promote, support and defend that disastrous and disgusting decision. But it does seem that, in private, he had his doubts (see the Downing Street memo for the Straw quote on the case for war being "thin"). Thanks for sharing those doubts with us, Jack, and with parliament and the UN Security Council.

Oh wait a minute . . . you didn't. So shame on you. And goodbye.

Special Offer: Get 12 issues of New Statesman magazine for just £12

Tags: Geoff Hoon Jack Straw Gordon Brown

More from Mehdi Hasan

View the discussion thread.

19 comments

Mon, 2010-08-09 16:18 — writeoff (not verified)

The Pinochet incident was typical of a man with no principles. See ya Jack. Don't write. (no really, please don't write..)

Sat, 2010-08-14 06:30 — Brian Harry

How is it possible that mass murdering scoundrels like Blair,Brown and Straw etc, just retire to live the rest of their life in privilege? What about their crimes against humanity? Isn't there someone to clean up the blood?

Sun, 2010-08-15 22:38 — Lamindemba

Good riddance - a thoroughly malign influence especially re electoral reform. Straw's disreputable role in the Iraq fiasco was such that, if I were him, I would be careful about my travel arrangements in future. How ironic it would be if he were to end up in a similar predicament to Pinochet. (The comparison ends there, mind). After the 7/7 London bombings, Straw spread disinformation that the bombers were not motivated by the Iraq war. His claims were exposed as cynical nonsense by the bombers' videos which proved that there was a link. Straw was no friend of civil liberties: he tried and failed to get some inquests held in secret. Straw does deserve some credit for the Stephen Lawrence enquiry but will not be missed.

Wed, 2010-08-11 16:03 — ROBERT TAGGART (not verified)

Good bye and Good riddance !
Surmising Straw (in office) refer to the notorious Blunket memoirs... (surmising) "he left the place (home office)in a mess" !

Sat, 2010-08-07 04:40 — Susan Allan (not verified)

Mehdi Hasan: I'm kinda new to the new statesman, although you may know who I am, and I don't think your subject matter has attracted me to much of your work, but honestly? You really think labour should have got back into power under any circumstances? As a nation we forgave blair of the unforgivable. Brown almost comes out better having lost the election, at least he might escape the death sentence in america when they discover the real reasons behind the wtc! If we want to be nuked, voting in a labour government is about the quickest way to achieve it!

Jack Straw should also be remembered for bringing back the backwards stepping for the Q ueen. He, unlike myself, didn't almost cripple himself over writing what to my surprise seemed to echo my own recorded musings on my album in the queens speech. Yes darling, you once helped yourself to my fine familys plums, and now you seem intent on helping yourself for free to my lyrics! (I am a musician who was initially fatally funded by a psybt with the guts of wagner droth. Horribly misplaced and completely incoherent. There also seems to be an awful lot about the master race in wagner! Never mind Charles, Stephie Fry understands, and he's been ILL TO!) Has history repeated itself? Henrietta Alison Morrison Allan was such a very very bright star wasn't she! If she had really thought about it, would she have re-provided the milk?

Blairs constituency kept voting him in, and I happen to know what a bunch they are. Channel 4! Mandelsons baby taught me all I need to know about that little thug. Straw? Goes down like a house on fire! I don't see why, if I and my possible offspring are going to be discriminated against in the manner I have (bouse and phone bugged, business destroyed) these thugs should be allowed to launch their off spring on us.

Sat, 2010-08-07 04:40 — 2yyiam1

Bliar, Brown, Campbell, Straw all retiring to the comfort of their homes or constituents. Getting ready to write their memoirs - cushy life, no responsibilty or consequence of their dispicable desicions!

Sat, 2010-08-07 04:43 — Susan Allan (not verified)

Nice to know you work late on a friday/saturday morning though Mehdi. I like the new statesman plenty!

Sat, 2010-08-07 08:03 — Tom (not verified)

Fuuny - Jack Straw represents everything the Labour party has become. A talentless, ignorant, Conservative, smarmy, lying, roadbloc to reform - devoid of lasting achievement and lacking and principles bar self advancement.
If you don't like Straw, how can you like Labour? It's no accident that Straw lasted so long - he is new Labour.

Sat, 2010-08-07 08:35 — Nick (not verified)

Tom, how on earth can you say Labour was a roadblock to reform? That's absurd; Labour was constantly accused of too much reform. Jack Straw has a right to step down and yes I'll miss some of his informed argument.

All the New Labour bashers on here omit to deal with the disgraceful government now in it's place.
You talk of smarm, lies and lack of principle. For goodness sake wake up to the likes of Cameron and Clegg; the new party of no principles.

Sat, 2010-08-07 11:17 — Gideon Polya

For me as an anti-racist, humanitarian Anglophile with an Anglo-Celtic British heritage, Jack Straw's legacy is the trashing of Iraq, Afghanistan, the Labour Party and Britain's post-colonialism reputation as a decent, liberal democracy.

According to the eminent US Just Foreign Policy (see: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/ ) violent post-invasion deaths in total 1.4 million in Iraq (perhaps 1 million in Occupied Afghanistan).

According to UN Population Division data, post-invasion under-5 infant deaths in Iraq total 0.8 million (2.4 million in Afghanistan) and post-invasion non-violent deaths from war-imposed deprivation total 1.0 million in Iraq (2.5 million in Afghanistan).

UN data indicate that 5-6 million refugees were generated in Iraq (3-4 million in Afghanistan with a further 2.5 million Pashtun refugees generated in NW Pakistan).

These atrocities are being described by scholars as an Iraqi Holocaust and an Afghan Holocaust and as an Iraqi Genocide and an Afghan Genocide as defined by Article 2 of the UN Genocide Convention (see "Iraqi Holocaust,Iraqi Genocide": https://sites.google.com/site/iraqiholocaustiraqigenocide/ and "Afghan Holocaust, Afghan Genocide": https://sites.google.com/site/afghanholocaustafghangenocide/).

Yes, "so shame on you" Jack Straw but also upon the British people in a Murdochracy, Lobbyocracy and US puppet United Kingdom who have been party to these ongoing and unforgivable atrocities via the Ballot Box.

Sat, 2010-08-07 11:25 — jeremiah

Straw is a survivor. He seemingly managed to get on with both Blair & Brown and hold high office in both administrations.

Straw on the other hand is a total sellout. He started as a student radical. He then went down the now well trodden path of NUS President, SPAD, MP and Cabinet Minister.

He had a big hand in Iraq and supported New Labour and it's ills to the hilt.

Straw won't starve and will get plenty of speaking gigs and corporate directorships.

I wonder what Straw the student would think if he could meet Straw the "elder statesman"

Sat, 2010-08-07 11:55 — swatantra

Straw will be remembered for his crowning achievement setting up the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry, which changed race relations, equalities for ever. MacPherson became a household word and all organisations were better held to account.
Other than that, nothing else.
As Foreign Secretary he had a good relationship with Condeelza but UK became a poodle to the USA.
He did raise the 'veil' issue which was courageous but chickened out in following it through.
And he did hold try to hold on to that South American
Dictator, but let him o on health grounds. A mistake.

Sat, 2010-08-07 14:00 — vanrisszcu

Swatantra - Yes, I forgot about the veil row...good reminder...

Sat, 2010-08-07 14:30 — stevem1

Good riddance. A thoroughly disreputable politician. A man who is prepared to dissemble at any time. A man without honour. There were lots of them in the NUlabour ranks and I shall be overjoyed when every last one disappears . That includes most of the leadership contenders. They are all a disgrace to the party I,my father and grandfather loved.

Sat, 2010-08-07 15:35 — Freeman2

'I'm a fan of his son (and potential replacement in Blackburn?) Will...'

Yes, great idea, inherited seats like the Tories used to do in the shires. If you can't see how contemptible the idea is I'm not sure what you're doing writing for the New Statesman... or perhaps I can. Straw Snr was an odious creep since his first appearance with the National Union of Students and left a trail of slime though British politics. So, no, I won't miss him.

Sat, 2010-08-07 15:38 — vanrisszcu

Freeman - I didn't say I supported the idea of Will inheriting Jack's seat. I simply speculated on the possibility. Perhaps you should learn to read before you make accusations...

Mon, 2010-08-16 09:02 — Lamindemba

I forgot a point in Straw's favour to counterbalance the charge sheet above. He rightly - and bravely - signalled post-Iraq that there should be no attack on Iran. This angered the swivel-eyed chicken-hawks in the Bush administration and almost certainly contributed to his demotion after the 2005 election.

Sat, 2010-08-07 17:48 — Freeman2

Mehdi - it's quite simple to read the sentence as you saying you're a fan of his potential replacement in Blackburn. Perhaps you should learn to read what you write as others may see it. (PS - thanks for responding, anyway).