Support for legal Aid

P of M has been mostly busy writing more letters (and hopeing for a postive result) - this one is for my local MP... but dont hold out much hope, since he is a Tory (well what do you expect i live in kent) ;)



Dear Sir:

I am writing to you as a concerned local constitute and also as a volunteer for local community legal aid advice services. My concern is the current Legal Aid Bill and proposed budget cuts which are going through parliament at this present moment of time.

I enjoy my volunteer work because it allows me to put something of myself back into the community in which I live; but I also find myself frustrated when I come across members of the public and I cannot help them with their particular problem, because current funding does not exist beyond giving some basic initial advice from an unqualified volunteer such as myself.

Often, very basic advice is all a member of the public needs to resolve a particular issue such housing, debt, consumer, family welfare or perhaps employment problems; however sometimes, needs can be of a more extensive nature which goes beyond my knowledge and experience and indeed remit as an unpaid volunteer.

This is a problem because it creates a legal justice deficit that goes to the very core of living in a civil society with a strong rule of law. This evidently does create a bad undercurrent in our society which results in members of the public losing respect in the legal justice system, as a fair process of redress, and perhaps also goes half way to explain why so many people (especial young people) feel much disengagement and apathy towards politics in general.

As an extreme example, I would refer you to the independent report, by the Riots Communities and Victims Panel, into last summer’s disruptions.

What I am basically saying is that this government cannot continue to rely on the good will of people such as myself, if the government in turn, continues on its present course and cuts an estimated £350 million from the legal aid budget.
I volunteer approximately 10 hours of my free time every week, and I also hold down a busy full-time job as an NHS nurse – I can only perform well in my volunteer role because I fully rely upon people who are (not unpaid volunteers) and work full time as paid managers, case workers and legal aid lawyers.

I understand the current policy to make budget cuts, but the current proposed legislation is also poorly thought out using blanket measures to cut costs at the expense of something which corrodes the very fabric of our civil society – the real expense in legal aid is the vast and complex bureaucracy used to administer funding, this is totally inefficient for the tax payer and results in lower levels of good legal advice and advocacy reaching the people who need it most.

Finally, as a member of parliament who holds consultation with local constituents, I would strongly urge you to at least read the executive summery of this document written by the Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) – see document attached – since I feel the repercussions will directly effect you as a member of parliament.

YLAL REPORT

kind regards

P of M

My New (ish) Guitar Faith Saturn

Seems to be a bit of fuzz with the sound recording (((((Click Link)))))), but I wanted to sit close, so the camera could get a good Lookey at my lovely new (ish) Guitar! Had absolutely no intention to get this guitar, I was just mucking around in the music shop as you do… then suddenly the clouds parted and I spied this beauty from afar shying behind a big old hunk of a Tanglewood; so I picked her up and my god! The tone !!… I could just feel its depth and we instantly bonded.

I would only expect this type of performance from a Taylor of a Martin guitar at three times the price! And even then you still cannot be certain.

I will have to make some more recordings with better equipment, so the sound can be fully appreciated – this recording is a slapped up number from Janis Joplin, going through a Blues thing at the moment, just got some Mr Scrapper Blackwell Blues recording from the 1960s… exquisite to say the least..

And The Outcome…

No Unison did not do much to help me; they asked if I had a contract of employment and the answer was no… I have never formally been given a contract - and if I did, I would have no hesitation in striking out a clause that gave my employer the discretion to pay me what ever they wanted!

I wrote a letter back informing them that my employment rights were therefore implied under statute… I think the 1996 or 2006 Employment Act – under which an employer is not allowed to change an employees pay without informed consent (yes good old EU legislators again looking after the average Joe… since the Great English government is so very very piss poor on human rights)

Alas! the brain washed masses will still deplore the great institutions of the EU because they regulate bendy bananas?!?! (I am sure there is a culturally positive argument for closing down the Daily Mail and indenturing Richard Littlejon as an eastern European XXX gay porn star fluffier… ) our culture would be Greater.

Anyhow… so no further replies from Unison and a bigfat legal deficit in terms of accesses to legal justice… almost makes me want to smash in the windows of my local JD Sports!

P of M