Formerly Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary, Jack Straw now heads up the newly-founded Ministry of Justice as Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor.

The MP for Blackburn was appointed to the role after also serving as Leader of the House of Commons since May 2006.

Jack was educated at Brentwood School, Essex, and Leeds University, where he was President of the Students' Union from 1967-1968. He was President of the National Union of Students from 1969-1971. After graduating, Jack was called to the Bar and worked as a barrister from 1972-1974.

He was subsequently Special Adviser to Barbara Castle as Secretary of State for Social Services from 1974-1976 and to Peter Shore as Secretary of State for the Environment from 1976-1977, before taking a job at Granada Television on the World in Action programme

Jack was elected as MP for Blackburn in 1979 and served on the Opposition front bench from 1980 until 1997; firstly as spokesman for the Treasury and Economic Affairs, and then as spokesman for the Environment. In 1987 he was appointed Shadow Education Secretary and then served as Shadow Environment Secretary from 1992-94 and Shadow Home Secretary until 1997

Jack is married with one son and one daughter. His recreations are walking, music, cooking puddings and supporting Blackburn Rovers.