JACK Straw has apologised publicly, twice, for missing his Blackburn constituency's annual Christmas dinner.

The Foreign Secretary did it first in the House of Commons and then on BBC Radio Four's Today.

Sadly, he had to attend a European Union summit in Naples rather than go to the Scholars Restaurant at Blackburn College.

Mr Straw told MPs that he had to leave a debate last week on foreign affairs to study the latest draft of the new European Constitution and went on to say that as a result: "I am having to miss, I think for the first time in 24 years, the annual dinner of Blackburn Labour Party.''

There were cries of "Shame" from fellow MPs and Mr Straw went on: "It is a terrible shame, and good comrades in the party will miss my pre-Christmas speech.''

Mr Straw told me afterwards: "The food and the company would have been much better than in Naples - although I am not sure if the other guests preferred it as they didn't have to listen to my speech!"

HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope has been regretting the dangers of being rude about Cliff Richard.

After signing a Commons Motion attacking the playing of Christmas "muzak" weeks before December 25 he named the ageing pop star's record "Mistletoe and Wine'' as one of the songs he would ban.

The result was a deluge of letters and E-mails attacking his comments.

Mr Pope said: "I didn't realise how determined his fans were. None of the other records I named produced the same result."

PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice is still seething that he tried three times to intervene in Tony Blair's address after the Queen's Speech but the Prime Minister ignored him.

This shocked old Westminster hands as he gave way to Tories, veteran left-wing rebel Dennis Skinner, and even Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond.

The fact that Mr Prentice has caused Mr Blair more trouble recently that Mr Skinner, the SNP and the Tories put together may be a reason for the Premier's discourtesy to him!