Jack Straw

Available for over a year

In this series, Peter Hennessy, the leading historian of modern Britain, asks senior politicians to reflect on their life and times. In each week's conversation, he invites his guest to explore what influenced their thinking and motivated them to enter politics, their experience of events and impressions of people they knew, and their regrets and satisfactions. Peter's guest in this week's programme is Jack Straw MP, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 1979 and sat in the Labour Government between 1997 and 2010. He served as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House in Tony Blair's Cabinet, and as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor in Gordon Brown's Cabinet. In his role as Foreign Secretary, Straw's support for British involvement in the Iraq War was crucial in Tony Blair's final decision to commit British forces to the invasion. Peter's guest next week is Lord Tebbit (Norman Tebbit), the former Conservative Cabinet Minister. Presenter, Peter Hennessy. Producer, Rob Shepherd.