EVEN during the fierce beauty contest of a general election campaign, politicians use a similar brand of lip gloss. It seems that our legitimate fears of crime, anti-social behaviour and terrorism are capable of alleviation only if we place them in the expert hands of the right politician. More positively, public services are a jolly good thing to be cherished and better provided — especially to those of us in greatest need.
Yet there is one public service that is never invited to the political ball. The dismantling of legal aid sits alongside the denigration of lawyers, judges and the very notion of law in civilised society. Access to justice for the poorest in our country is one vital part of the welfare state that