DAVID Cameron took time out of a Westminster debate on international affairs to praise Jack Straw, offering to become the former Labour Foreign Secretary’s constituency representative.

The Prime Minister promised the retiring Blackburn MP a premium service if Mr Straw chose his country cottage in Oxfordshire as his main residence. Mr Straw rejected the offer, hoping his successor as Labour candidate for Blackburn, Kate Hollern, gets the job on May 7.

She and Conservative candidate Bob Eastwood both said they hope to represent Mr Straw after the election.

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Mr Straw has an Oxfordshire cottage, inherited by his wife Alice, a family home in London and a town-centre house in Blackburn.

He tackled Mr Cameron during a House of Commons statement on international affairs. Mr Straw — a former home secretary and foreign secretary — asked Mr Cameron to tell Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu that building Jewish settlements in Palestine is unacceptable.

Mr Cameron, whose Witney seat includes the Straw family’s Minster Lovell cottage, told Mr Straw: “First, just in case it is the last time I look at you across the Commons, may I pay tribute to you for all the work that you have done in government and in opposition, including in some very senior roles at some very difficult times for this country?

“The one pledge I make you is that if you continues to live where you do, your constituency MP will always stand up for you in this House of Commons and make sure that you receive a premium service.”

Mr Straw said: “It is a joke with the Prime Minister that because my wife Alice inherited the house in Minster Lovell from her mother, I am his constituent. I could also be Vauxhall Labour MP Kate Hoey’s but am registered to vote in Blackburn.

“I am not sure what I shall do with the constituency house after the election. But as chairman of Blackburn Youth Zone I shall need a base in the town. On May 7, I shall vote for Kate Hollern and hope she will be my MP.”

Cllr Hollern said: “If the people of Blackburn elect me, I hope to offer Jack the premium service he gave us for 36 years.”

Mr Eastwood said: “If voters elect me, I hope to offer Mr Straw a premium service as MP, as I will to all constituents.”