THE Home Secretary proved he is still a Jack of all trades despite his new political status.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw was in Blackburn town centre to take questions from the public.

And even though he has one of the most important jobs in the country, he helped set up the sound system for the event when his own people didn't know which plugs went into which sockets!

Mr Straw regularly holds "meet the people" sessions in the town centre and this was his second since Labour swept to power in May.

Security around Mr Straw has increased since he became Home Secretary but it is still a low key affair.

A handful of special branch officers remained close by as under cover police mingled with the crowd. Only two uniformed officers were in the area. Despite his new political position, Mr Straw seemed determined to keep an image as man of the people.

Sipping from a can of Diet Sunkist, he told shoppers how he would remain tough on crime.

Alison Duckworth, of Blackburn, asked why the man charged with murdering her brother, Howard Benson, in Huddersfield, had been waiting to come to trial for two years.

Mr Straw said he would look into the matter and added: "I am committed to reducing the time it takes to get offenders into court, particularly if they are on remand in prison.

"Other countries have clear statutory wait limits and that is the sort of thing we are looking at for England and Wales."

He also took questions on the Child Support Agency, council tax and immigration issues.

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