WHEN MP Jack Straw returned from his summer holiday he could have been forgiven for thinking he had been sacked in a cabinet reshuffle.

For the Blackburn MP and Justice Minister received a letter from HM Revenue and Customs saying his tax code had been changed - because he was between jobs.

The government department posted the letter on August 7.

It was addressed to Mr Straw but started "Dear to be issued manually'."

Mr Straw changed jobs on June 28.

The former Leader of the Commons became the new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice as part of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's new Government.

Mr Straw made the discovery at the weekend after returning from a three week holiday with his wife Alice Perkins in Italy.

He said: "I got back and there were the usual bills and other letters and there was this letter calling me 'to be issued manually.' "I showed it to my wife and she said what have you not told me?

"Why have you been pretending to be working on the phone when you are between jobs?!

"I thought it was a hoot and my wife saw the funny side of it too.

"I have told my office but nobody else knows about it yet.

"I am expecting a bit of a ribbing and I will probably be called to be issued manually' from now on.

"I hope it reassures people that we do not get special treatment from the revenue."

When Mr Straw was appointed to his new role he became the first MP to hold the position of Lord Chancellor in the post's 12 century history.

Mr Straw's other positions in the Labour Government have included Home Secretary and Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Mr Straw said that he would be contacting HM Revenue and Customs to highlight the error.

A spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs said that she could not comment on any individual cases.