Jack Straw: Wanker

The arrogance of Jack Straw:

"If I had refused (to give my support), the UK's participation in the military action would not have been possible"

Seems a curious time for Jack Straw to start boasting about his importance. After all, had he refused to give his support and saved the UK from the Iraq "adventure", maybe he would actually have something to boast about it. Instead, his importance merely highlights that he helped the Blair government to do ahead and invade Iraq. It's a bit like the defendant at a murder trial trying to win the jury over by saying that he held the victim down whilst someone else stabbed the victim repeatedly in the chest. It isn't as impressive a statement as "I tried to stop the murder from happening." Still, it's a good political epitaph for Jack Straw's career (which hopefully is nearly over): "Jack Straw. Could have stopped the war in Iraq. Didn't. Wanker."

But he is sorry for some of the mistakes made. No, really, he is:

"That was an error, an error that has haunted us ever since."

Ok, ok, maybe he isn't sorry. But he does admit there was an error, and he is "haunted " by it. Of course, he isn't so "haunted" that he can't do a senior government role. And he isn't so "haunted" that he hasn't been able to spend a large proportion of the last seven years decimating civil liberties in this country. Maybe he's just so brave that being haunted doesn't massively impact on his behaviour. Yeah, that's probably it. Jack Straw is brave in the face of having dragged this nation into a war that has killed thousands based on spurious and false data.

So there we have it. Jack Straw; an important man who is brave enough to live with being haunted, but who still manages to be one of the most repulsive politicians in a government that seems to pride itself in having repellent representatives.