Jack is famous across the country for holding regular open-air meetings in Blackburn town centre – he is the only MP to do so. These meetings have taken place since 1983 and are a great example of direct democracy with any member of the public able to question their MP on any issue. If Jack can’t give an immediate answer he is happy to take issues away and get back to you. Much of what Jack has learnt during these meetings has resulted in new Government policies.
In October 2009 BBC Radio 4 came to record a feature on the open-air meetings, posing the the question of whether Jack Straw would ”speak up for politics” in the wake of the expenses scandal. For a taste of what the open-air meetings are like, you can listen to that broadcast here on YouTube.
