JACK Straw has hit back at new claims about his alleged ‘lobbying’ activities reported in a national newspaper.

The former Blackburn MP is accused of using contacts from his time as foreign secretary to help private business interests.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The claims are extracted from the details of a report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Hudson clearing him of any breach of Westminster rules after an undercover ‘sting’ by the Daily Telegraph and Channel Four.

They secretly filmed him apparently claiming to ‘operate under the radar’ to change European Rules on commodities and offering his services to a bogus Chinese firm for £5,000 a day.

The paper’s latest allegations yesterday included Mr Straw approaching the British Ambassador to the US to arrange a senior diplomat’s attendance at the opening of a New York showroom by Altham-based furniture manufacturer Senator International with which he had a loose relationship as an unpaid advisor.

Mr Straw said: “I have been completely exonerated on all the issues that it raised.

“The report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards accused the paper of publishing distorted reports.”

Mr Straw received support from Senator chairman Colin Mustoe and Pendle Tory MP Andrew Stephenson.

The paper claimed the former Labour cabinet minister, who retired as MP for Blackburn before May’s General Election, contacted a former member of his Foreign Office staff in Hong Kong to check out the bogus Chinese firm and sought the help of the UK Ambassador in Kiev over work he did with a Ukrainian commodities company.

Mr Straw said he had cleared the latter approach with Lord Lang, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments., before making it.

He said of the US claim: “Senator is a major East Lancashire company with a factory in Whitebirk in Blackburn.

“Part of the job of the diplomatic service is representing UK companies abroad and part of the job of an MP is to help that process.”

Mr Mustoe said: “As far as I am concerned Jack Straw has been a very good local MP providing help to our company and other local companies. We have never paid him a penny piece.”

Mr Stephenson said: “I am with Jack. The Telegraph’s latest claims seem to have no substance. Local MPs are there to help local businesses and employment.”