Banned by Straw poll

If home secretary Jack Straw is feeling beleagured he will find no sanctuary at his alma mater.

Leeds University Union, of which Mr Straw was president in 1968, has banned him from the union building and overturned his life membership.

A plaque is also to be erected at the entrance to the union building stating that the union believes he has furthered government policies curtailing civil liberties and, as a result, "is not welcome here".

Not content with this, the union now wants to lobby the university to overturn his honorary degree.

One Leeds student accused Mr Straw of being "too scared" to come to the union building when he collected his honour last year.