STRAW THE FATHER STEPS OUT FROM THE SHADOWS

English judge lifts injunction after The Scotsman names Home Secretary

JACK STRAW last night told of his anguish and embarrassment after learning
that his 17-year-old son had been accused of drug dealing.

The Home Secretary was able to go public about the extraordinary affair
after a judge scrapped the injunction which banned newspapers in England
from identifying Mr Straw and his son William.

The Scotsman and two other Scottish newspapers yesterday precipitated the
judge's decision by naming Mr Straw north of the Border after ten days of
legal farce. He was also named yesterday by newspapers in Ireland and
France, and on the Internet.

At the High Court in London, Mr Justice Toulson said that it was neither
sensible nor appropriate to maintain an injunction which allowed people in
Greenock to know the identity of Mr Straw, but not those in Carlisle.

Tony Blair immediately threw his full weight behind Mr Straw, and insisted
there was no question of him resigning or moving to another ministerial
brief.

Mr Straw, who has taken a particularly tough stance against legalisation of
soft drugs, said he had never considered resigning. He said: "What it has
done is strengthened my conviction against legalisation of soft drugs."

The Mirror newspaper first claimed on Christmas Eve that a senior Cabinet
minister's son had sold cannabis worth 10 UKP to one of its reporters in a
London pub, but did not identify the father or the son. Mr Straw had
already taken his son to a police station, where the youth was arrested and
released on bail.

Mr Straw spoke anonymously to the Mirror and the Sun on Wednesday and
expressed profound frustration that he could not go public because of
English law which provides anonymity to anyone under 18 facing legal
proceedings.

Speaking after the injunction had been lifted, the Home Secretary said that
his son could expect no favours from the legal system, but should not
suffer additionally for being the child of a prominent politician.

He told a hastily convened press conference: "When the Daily Mirror first
spoke to me I felt the same emotions as any parent would in such
circumstances - shock and concern.

"Being a parent means giving love and support and - where it's necessary -
confronting children with their wrongdoing.

"When a child does wrong, I believe it to be the duty of a parent to act
promptly. That is what I sought to do.

"My son went voluntarily with me to the police. He did not and should not
expect any favours from the legal process.

"He will accept and suffer any sanctions which arise, though of course like
any parents we stand by him."

He added: "Of course I was embarrassed by this. Any parent would be
embarrassed by the information I was given.

"We had a good Christmas, although it would have been a better Christmas
without this, but there you go - that's life."

Mr Straw refused to go into detail about the discussions he had had with
his son, who, it emerged, had been offered a conditional place at Oxford
University on the same day that the Mirror accused of him of drug dealing.
The police are expected to either caution or take no action against William
early next week.

William later posed for pooled press pictures in the kitchen of the
family's London home. His father was present during the photo shoot but did
not pose with him and both looked tense throughout.

On Tuesday, John Morris, the Attorney General, obtained an injunction in
the High Court preventing the Sun from naming Mr Straw.

The Scotsman was able to identify him because the injunction did not apply
in Scotland.

Mr Straw confirmed last night that the Government was reviewing the law in
England which preserves the anonymity of children facing legal proceedings.

But he insisted his ability to speak out about drugs, good parenting and
youth crime in his capacity as Home Secretary had not been adversely
affected by his son's actions.

"This episode has not in any sense compromised my very firm belief about
the legalisation of cannabis and other soft drugs. Cannabis is a dangerous
drug which is internationally accepted as dangerous. It may not be as
dangerous as some other drugs, but there is no question that it is
dangerous and has narcotic qualities," he said.

"It's a matter of incontrovertible evidence that there are plain links
between the use and selling of drugs and the incidence of acquisitive
crimes."

Downing Street said: "The Prime Minister thinks Mr Straw has acted
honourably and correctly throughout. It's been a difficult time for him and
his family. The Prime Minister has given his full support throughout and
continues to do so."

During a day of dramatic developments, Downing Street initially said
yesterday that the decision by The Scotsman and two other newspapers to
identify Mr Straw had no bearing on the situation in England.

A spokesman for Mr Straw said there was no question of him issuing a
statement in response to the disclosure of his identity in the Scottish
media.

But hours later Mr Morris announced he was taking the case involving the
Sun back to the High Court, after the newspaper decided to appeal.

Mr Justice Toulson refused Mr Morris's request to maintain the injunction.
He said in his judgement: "I have to ask myself whether it is sensible or
appropriate for the court to maintain a position in which matters can be
freely published in Greenock but not in Carlisle."

Asked by The Scotsman if he welcomed the newspaper's decision to identify
him, Mr Straw said: "It's not for me to comment on the process of the law
in this case either in respect of the Scottish media or in other matters.
What I have sought to do throughout this is strictly to observe the law and
the legal advice I have been offered."

He confirmed he had spoken to Mr Morris when the Mirror first informed him
of the allegations against his son.

Mr Morris, along with other legal advisers, is thought to have told Mr
Straw he could not go public because the 1933 Children and Young Persons
Act provided anonymity to children facing legal proceedings in England. But
Mr Straw stressed that he had no discussion with Mr Morris about the
injunction obtained on Tuesday.

There had been claims that Mr Morris, who acts independently of the
Government, had been put under political pressure to seek the injunction.