Friends of Jack Straw in a bad mood, not speaking to anyone

While Justice Secretary Jack Straw took to the airwaves yesterday to declare support for beleaguered Prime Minister Gordon Brown, close friends indicated that they were having a really bad day and were not in the mood for chatting. Mr Straw told the BBC he had no plans to mount a leadership bid and said he is absolutely convinced that Gordon Brown remains the right man to lead Labour. However sources close to Mr Straw painted an altogether different picture. "The boiler's broken down, the kids are playing up, we've got visitors staying, it's been a bloody awful weekend so far. I've nothing to say," said one friend last night, fuelling speculation about a possible putsch against Brown in the autumn.