Jack Straw: a life in politics – in pictures

Jack Straw has announced his decision not to stand at the next general election Photograph: David Levene for The Guardian

Jack Straw as a baby with his father Photograph: Courtesy of Macmillan

With other Brentwood school prefects in this 1963 school photograph Photograph: .

Straw was elected president of the National Union of Students in 1969 Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images

A family day out for Jack Straw and his young son, William with Tony Benn at a May Day rally to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Peasant's Revolt in 1981 Photograph: Guardian

Jack Straw was first home secretary, then foreign secretary and finally leader of the House under the then prime minister, Tony Blair Photograph: Adam Butler/AP

Home secretary from 1997 to 2001 Photograph: Peter J Jordan/PA

The life of a foreign secretary involves embracing the diveristy of world cuisine as seen here when Straw enjoys prasad in the Langar Hall during his visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar city, Punjab Photograph: Money Sharma/EPA

Meeting President Mohammad Khatami in September, 2001. Straw was the first British foreign minister to visit Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution Photograph: Vahid Salemi/AP

Straw backed Tony Blair's position on, and supported America's decision to go to war. Photograph: Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

As foreign secretary, Jack Straw opened the debate on going to war with Iraq on Wednesday 26 February 2003 Photograph: PA

Walter Wolfgang famously heckled Jack Straw over the Iraq War at the 2005 Labour party conference in Brighton and was thrown out of the hall Photograph: Russell Boyce/Reuters

Despite the diplomatic hostilities between Zimbabwe and the UK, Straw sought not to be discourteous when he was asked to shake the hand of Robert Mugabe during a visit to New York in September 2004 Photograph: BBC/PA

In January 2005, Straw visited a hospital in Phuket following the tsunami on Boxing Day 2004 Photograph: Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP/Getty Images

Jack Straw visited Baghdad as foreign secretary a number of times and here he is photographed as he waits to take part in a television interview on 7 January 7 2006 Photograph: Karim Sahib/AP

Throughout his tenure as foreign secretary, Straw maintained the special relationship with the US Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

Jack Straw was just one of three indivduals to have served in the cabinet between 1997 and 2010. Under Gordon Brown, Straw was justice secretary Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Dressed in his finery as lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice Photograph: Max Mumby/Getty Images