Even lawyers will feel the impact of cuts

Published: 7 October, 2010

• IF anything illustrates the invidious position of policymakers in the face of massive government cuts, then the warning by solicitors firm Leigh Day & Co (September 30) that the taxpayer would be sued if the council didn’t “consult properly” does.  

The council will, of course, consult where it has a duty to, although I should point out that there has been little to no consultation from central government on the scale of cuts we have to implement next year. 

However, I was somewhat sickened by what appears to be a brazen attempt by an otherwise respected human rights firm to seek to profit from the misery of the current situation.    

There can be no doubt that we are entering an era of limits and cuts of an unprecedented scale.  

Recession analyst John Lanchester has ably argued in Saturday’s Guardian that no government has ever achieved anything like the anticipated reduction in public spending expected on October 20. 

He notes that since 1950 there have been only two periods during which public spending was cut for two years in a row – the coalition is proposing to cut it for six consecutive years.

In this scenario the impact will be felt by everyone, even those lawyers currently circling like vultures.
Cllr Theo Blackwell
Labour, Gospel Oak ward

Class issue

• ROSA Curling (Legal Eye, September 30) seems to make the mistake of assuming that all ethnic minorities and all women are poor and disadvantaged. 

There are plenty of middle class professional ethnic minority people as well as those in top positions in City firms, and also those who run their own businesses. 

This also applies to quite a few women.

It’s not a question of race or gender, but of class.

So what is needed is a movement of workers led by workers, regardless of race or gender, who are prepared to fight together.
Name and address supplied, N19