COUNCILLORS have voted overwhelmingly to award former MP Jack Straw the ‘freedom’ of the borough of Blackburn with Darwen.

Borough chief executive Harry Catherall will now start work on arranging the presentation of a special address to the ex-Labour Cabinet Minister.

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The honour, last given in 1992, was approved with cross-party support at Thursday’s meeting of the borough’s full council forum despite dissenting voices from senior Tory Alan Cottam and veteran Liberal Democrat Paul Browne.

Mr Straw, 69, stood down as the longest serving MP for Blackburn before May’s General Election.

He held high-profile national positions, including Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary.

Despite his Cabinet office, councillors commended him for remaining a familiar sight in the town during his ‘soap box’ sessions.

Mr Straw was MP for Blackburn for more than 36 years, between 1979 and 2015, exceeding the record of Barbara Castle, who also received the award which dates back to the Middle Ages.

Borough leader Mohammed Khan said: “I think he did a great job as MP for the people in the borough.”

“We are doing this for him because of what he did for the borough.” Tory leader Mike Lee said when he and his colleague Colin Rigby led a non-Labour coalition ‘we had nothing but support from him’.

Liberal Democrat Leader David Foster, deputy in the 2007/2010 coalition administration said the award was justified by his hard work for Blackburn and the borough.

North Turton with Tockholes Tory Jean Rigby said she and her husband both supported the award: “As a grass roots MP, he was excellent.”

Sudell’s Cllr Browne, who abstained, said he could never forgive Mr Straw for taking the country to war in Iraq.

Mr Straw said he was delighted.