The Labour form book: Jack Straw

Coffee House is running a series of posts on the contenders to succeed Gordon Brown as Labour party leader.  The latest is below.  Click here for our profile of David Miliband, here for Jon Cruddas, and here for Alan Johnson.

Jack Straw, 62, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Pros

Experience: This is a man who has been an MP since 1979, and who - in his near thirty year career - has filled positions including Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary. On paper, at least, it's not a bad record, perhaps the best among any of the potential leadership candidates. Straw's got experience by the bucketful. And that's a useful commodity as the economic storm clouds darken.

Inoffensively grey: With a few exceptions, leaders in British politics are chosen for who they’re not. IDS was not Portillo, Major was not Heseltine, Thatcher was not Heath, Foot was not Healey, Wilson was not George Brown and Attlee was not anybody. So being grey or inoffensive is not a bad thing in politics. It means you don’t draw much opposition, and this is usually what wins.

He'd go for it: Unlike Purnell and Miliband Straw has nothing to lose, and ending your career as Prime Minister isn’t a bad way to go even if it is a kamikaze mission. He’d be a Michael Howard candidate, someone old enough to resign after losing the election. And who could win votes as a stop-gap candidate to hold the party together before it holds the awkward question about leadership.

He's an alright guy: I find him good company, and while I disagree with him on plenty issues I can’t really see the readers of my News of the World column writing in hate poems dedicated to him as they currently do about Brown. (“Gordon Brown’s from Scotty Town/His government’s a farce…" - you can guess the rest).

Cons

Not the "change" candidate: As the longest serving Cabinet member he’s a well-kent face (as they say in Kirkcaldy) and would struggle to say ‘renewal’. Cameron could very easily frame the election into a “future or the past” choice.

A stop-gap: By picking Straw, Labour would manifestly be choosing to lose with grace. It would, in itself, be an admission of defeat. Rather than putting all their energies into fighting the next election, Labour under Straw would already be thinking about the next leader. Straw could well be undermined by the same below-the-surface manoeuvrings that are aflicting the government now.

Too grey: Being grey can be inoffensive but it can also be just plain dull. Straw could turn out to be Labour's John Major.

MP for Blackburn since 1979

Lord Chancellor/Justice Secretary
2007-present

Leader of the House of Commons/Lord Privy Seal
2006 - 2007

Foreign Secretary                   
2001 - 2006

Home Secretary 
1997 - 2001

Shadow Home Secretary
1994 - 1997

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment
1992- 1994

Shadow Education Spokesman
1987-1992

Swing required to unseat

10.6% from Labour to Conservative, or 11.3 to Lib Dem

Major rebellions

None