Man of Straw: So It Was Jack Straw Who Counselled against an Early Election? Martin Bright Reports on a Politician Who, after the Event, Always Seems to Be in the Right

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It turns out that Jack Straw was one of the "greybeards" who always advised, sagely, against an autumn election. Gordon Brown must now be kicking himself that he didn't listen earlier to his Justice Secretary's wise words of caution. It could all have been so different.

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Hang on a minute. Isn't this the same Jack Straw who indulged in the most shameless piece of electioneering of the whole Labour conference by spinning that the government would legislate to protect "have-a-go heroes"? His interview on Today the day after Brown's "vote red, get blue" speech was part of a calculated shift to draw in Tory floating voters ahead of a snap poll. Apart from the toe-curling examples of Straw's bravery in the face of street violence, it was an egregious act of authoritarian populism from a man who failed to propose any such legislation as home secretary between …