Rising Son ; His Name Is Straw; He's a Political Player, Is Renowned for His Forthright Morality, and Has Frequent Run-Ins with the Rank-And- File. No, It's Not Jack, but His Son Will, Now President of Oxford's Student Union and a Thorn in the Side of New Labour. PAUL VALLELY Talks to a Star in the Making

Beginning of article

It was the sort of jolly jape that students are supposed to indulge in. The Junior Common Room at St John's College, Oxford, passed a unanimous resolution noting that its outgoing president, Lesley-Anne Perry, "wouldn't mind giving Will Straw a little bit of a shag", and mandating her to "snog" the aforementioned president of the Oxford University Student Union "on the lips (tongues not essential, although preferable) for at least five seconds but no more than 10".

This is not, however, the thing that young Mr Straw is most famous for. Apart from sex, and drinking, it is universally acknowledged that the proper primary activity of students is protesting. Will Straw has …