JACK Straw may be a good mate of his Foreign Secretary predecessor Robin Cook but that didn't stop sharp words between them in the Commons this week.

During the Blackburn MP's statement on Iraq and the '45 minutes' intelligence claim, Mr Cook again attacked the government.

Mr Straw replied: "In the spirit of friendship and comradeship, I will not embarrass you by pointing out all the things that you said when you were in my position about the threat of Saddam."

Ignoring calls from loyal Labour MPs to pursue the attack on Mr Cook, who quit the Cabinet to become one of the leading anti-war critics, Mr Straw said: "No, I will leave that aside."

One seasoned observer said: "It just shows that friendship in politics never lasts beyond the entrance to the Chamber."

WHILE Mr Straw has been giving up glasses, Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans has revealed that he has started having to use spectacles to read.

And referring to the Foreign Secretary's latest embarrassment, he added: "At least now I've got glasses I could recognise Robert Mugabe before I shook hands with him."

PENDLE peer Lord Greaves this week launched a fierce attack on former Labour deputy leader and minister Roy Hattersley.

He told the upper house at Westminster that he was interested in a lengthy article on hunting by the Labour peer in The Guardian.

Then the Liberal Democrat stuck the knife in: "I wish that he would share his thoughts here with us in the House of Lords some time."

BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has denied rumours that he is about to move to the south coast when he retires, after he put down another Commons Motion praising Brighton and Hove Albion supporters over their battle to get a new stadium at Falmer near the resort.

He said: "I am only supporting Brighton fans in their bid for a proper new home as chairman of the all-party football group. I am a super Clarets fan and I couldn't desert Burnley."