How come Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon have suddenly become the official repositories of the party's better judgement?

It's this pair of jokers that convinced Brown not to go for the election last October - ever since which he's been seen as a "bottler", a coward, a ditherer.  Had we had it then, there's every chance we could have could the Tories off the guard (prior to the Ashcroft money getting to work) and given them hell.  The idea that the economy was going to get better if we waited was lunacy!

They only got top jobs by being craven yes-men, useful idiots that would toe the line of whoever was at the top.  Well, it's time to boot out the old guard along with the Blairite ultras and have some people with imagination, political judgement and public respect instead. 

However painful it might be to accept, one thing is clear; Labour is currently so unpopular that no single course of action can ensure it's success at the next election. One thing can, however, guarantee it's defeat and that is leaving Gordon Brown at the helm.

I can do no better than cite the excellent article on anonymous witnesses by Geoffrey Robertson QC, published in today's Guardian.

Jack Straw announced this morning on Radio 4 that emergency legislation would be introduced to permit anonymous witnesses in criminal trials, following the Law Lords' sending back of a case to the Appeal Court in which anonymous witnesses were used.

A report is out saying Labour want trade unions to stop giving funds direct to CLPs, and send all funds to the national party - but the unions are resisting this. Anyone know anything about this?

The Guardian's leader this morning observes that finally after 11 years, the government might be getting serious on constitutional reform.

Jack Straw have written to Labour MPs announcing he'll front Gordon Brown's leadership campaign.

Article on Lords reform by Jack Straw MP, Leader of the House of Commons

This week MPs will vote on Lords reform. This is an opportunity to take a step forward on a subject on which Labour has campaigned throughout our history. The free votes, promised in our manifesto in 2005, are there to set out the direction of travel on the issue.

Here's a chat with the Leader of the Commons Jack Straw, He has a few things to say about Lords Reform

What do you think?

Collective endeavour (or Socialism) is, to my mind, both a strength and a virtue. The belief in solidarity, that we are always stronger when we unite together, that collaboration can be better than competition is what makes me a socialist.

Leaked memo reveals the possibility of Hereditary peers until 2050