Jack Straw

A highly experienced British and European politician, Rt Hon Jack Straw’s extensive career of continuous Cabinet-level roles in successive Labour governments has featured many momentous political and economic decisions. A powerful and influential voice on a wide range of economic and foreign policy issues, his disarmingly wry light-touch style, formidable intellect and senior operational experience in so many policy areas give him a unique profile, not only in the UK, but also at the European Union and wider international levels.

A highly experienced British and European politician, Rt Hon Jack Straw’s extensive career of continuous Cabinet-level roles in successive Labour governments has featured many momentous political and economic decisions in national, European and wider international affairs.

A powerful and influential voice on a wide range of economic and foreign policy issues, he has a reputation for clear, pragmatic thinking. The Guardian newspaper has described his policy interventions as “independent and searching”.

With a wealth of vivid personal anecdotes and thought-provoking examples of what works in politics, and what does not, few active politicians today match his high-level policy insight and breadth.

Prior to being appointed in 2015 as a Member of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information, Jack served as MP for Blackburn from 1979.

He was also Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006; Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001; Leader of the Commons under Prime Minister Tony Blair from 2006 to 2007; and Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010.

After a prominent radical role in national student politics in the 1960s, Jack began his career working as a barrister, spent three years as adviser to two Cabinet Ministers (Barbara Castle and Peter Shore), and then worked on Granada TV’s flagship WORLD IN ACTION programme. He was a London borough councillor and deputy leader of the Inner London Education Authority.

He first entered Parliament as a Labour MP representing Blackburn in 1979 and held several Shadow Cabinet roles. In the Commons, he was appointed to the Front Bench in 1980, and in 1987 he became the Opposition spokesman on Education and then on the Environment.

From 1994 to 1997, Jack was Shadow Home Secretary. After the Labour Party’s 1997 election victory, he became Home Secretary and oversaw the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act and the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into British law.

Becoming Foreign Secretary in 2001, he played a leading role in the foreign policy problems arising from the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and the resulting interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was also closely involved with many major European decisions such as the negotiation of the EU Budget deal in 2005.

He continues to be a major figure in British politics, whose disarmingly wry light-touch style, formidable intellect and senior operational experience in so many policy areas give him a unique profile, not only in the UK, but also at the European Union and wider international levels.

He has been outspoken on strategic European questions including prospects for the Eurozone, car insurance sector reform and ‘multi-culturalism’ (his Blackburn constituency has a sizeable Muslim community).

Jack is a Visiting Professor at the University College London School of Public Policy and Vice President of Blackburn Rovers Football Club. He is also a Governor of Blackburn College; Chairman of the Blackburn Youth Zone; and co-Chairman of the government-sponsored British-Turkish Forum and the Tatlidil conference that takes place annually between the UK and Turkey. In 2012, he was given the Order of the Republic of Turkey by President Abdullah Gül.

His deft personal style combines with his immense political and economic policy insight to make him a fascinating and authoritative senior speaker.