Jack Straw

Politics

He objects rather strongly to being called a "Trot."[1]

Iraq War

He backed the invasion of Iraq, calling it the "most difficult decision" of his career and admitting that he found the aims of the intervention to be "improper and unlawful."[2]

Criticism of Islam

He is critical of Muslim women wearing the veil, calling it a "visible statement of separation and of difference" and asking "[w]ould those people who do wear the veil think about the implications for community relations?"[3]

He caused further controversy when, following twentysomething males Mohammed Liaqat and Abid Saddique being found guilty of rape, he appeared on the BBC programme Newsnight and alleged that Britain's Pakistani community has a rape problem, particularly with young white girls.[4]

“”Pakistanis, let's be clear, are not the only people who commit sexual offences, and overwhelmingly the sex offenders' wings of prisons are full of white sex offenders. But there is a specific problem which involves Pakistani heritage men, of some age as well, who target vulnerable young white girls. We need to get the Pakistani community to think much more clearly about why this is going on and to be more open about the problems that are leading to a number of Pakistani heritage men thinking it is OK to target white girls in this way. These young men are in a western society, in any event, they act like any other young men, they're fizzing and popping with testosterone, they want some outlet for that, but Pakistani heritage girls are off-limits and they are expected to marry a Pakistani girl from Pakistan, typically. So they then seek other avenues and they see these young women, white girls who are vulnerable, some of them in care... who they think are easy meat.
gollark: There is no #basic.
gollark: Or, well, ircd-exporter might but that would make the number *bigger*.
gollark: Or, well, neither thing sees them.
gollark: We don't appear to have any of those.
gollark: Weird, ircd-exporter sees 13 channels but osmarksircthing™ sees 14.

References
  1. The Independent: BBC fights for the arts, Celebrity help for starving people and others 16 November 2004
  2. BBC News: Straw says Iraq 'most difficult decision' in his life 21 January 2010
  3. BBC News: Straw's veil comments spark anger 5 October 2006
  4. BBC News: Jack Straw - Some white girls are 'easy meat' for abuse 8 January 2011
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