A few hours after UK justice secretary Jack Straw pardoned Michael Shields, who was jailed for 15 years for a violent attack in Bulgaria, there was still no confirmation whether Shields's father would go through with his reported plan to stand against Straw in the next UK parliamentary election.

On August 24 2009, UK media said that Shields's father was considering standing for the Blackburn seat to protest after the Justice Secretary issued a provisional ruling refusing to pardon his son.

Campaigners for Shields's freedom have always claimed that the 22-year-old FC Liverpool fan, was the victim of a miscarriage of justice after his conviction for an attack on Bulgarian bartender Martin Georgiev.

Shields was found guilty on the basis of eyewitness evidence of the attempted murder of Georgiev. The incident took place when Shields was part of a group of Liverpool supporters who visited Varna on their way back from the football team’s victory in a Champions League match in Istanbul in 2005.

According to various newspapers, including the Daily Mirror and the Liverpool Echo (no relation to The Sofia Echo) Michael's mother Maria could also stand against a junior minister in Liverpool.

A source, quoted by the Liverpool Echo, said: "It’s something that has been mentioned a number of times and Michael Snr in particular is strongly considering standing. No decision has been made either way but they are both understandably angry about how Jack Straw and the government have treated their son’s case."

The media reports preceded a face-to-face meeting between Straw and Michael’s parents in Blackburn, scheduled for August 28 2009. On September 9, Straw issued a statement saying that during the meeting "important new evidence came to light".

Straw was apparently told of a visit by two members of the Shields family to the home of another man alleged to be responsible for the crime.

He said: "I was told that in the course of the visit that man made an oral confession to the crime in front of several other people. When looked at alongside all the previously available evidence, (it) has now satisfied me that Mr Shields meets the high test set by the court," said Straw.

Straw's previous 8000-vote majority in Blackburn is now considered by most political commentators to have been reduced to a slim margin.