Jack Straw on Today

Jack Straw sounded terribly uncomfortable on the Today programme this morning, challenged by John Humphreys as to how it is that every single person who has given £1 million to the Labour Party has recieved a peerage or knighthood, or to justify Labour concealing party donations as loans ("big bungs in the shape of loans", Humphreys called them). Straw claimed ignorance. Humphreys also thought it a "rum do" that poor Tessa is excluded from Cabinet discussions on Iran (as was extensively reported in the papers over the week-end). But, then again, she is the Secretary of State for Sport and Culture. That's one step up from Secretary of State for paperclips. If Cabinet has discussions on Iran her role would be to shut her mouth and nod agreement; and outside Cabinet - if pressed on the subject - to mindlessly parrot Blair.