Another week, another alarming attack on our local MP’s competency. This time it is the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee who have found that Mr Grayling’s cuts to the legal aid budget were pushed through on the basis of "no evidence in many areas, and without making good use of the evidence that it did have in other areas".

Over the last few weeks, various independent bodies have criticised the decisions that Mr Grayling has taken during his time in office. He is in real danger of going into the general election without anything to boast about from his time in office.

Mr Grayling is the first non-lawyer in 440 years to be in charge of our courts and legal system. Since getting the job as Justice Minister, he has cut legal aid to the bone, caused barristers across the country to strike for the first time ever and required dozens of essential law centres to close. To find out now that these cuts were pushed through without proper scrutiny, or even any evidence in some circumstances, is disgusting.

The Public Accounts Committee chair, Margaret Hodge, said: "Access to justice is one of the most fundamental principles of our society, and the purpose of legal aid is to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable people enjoy that basic right… It is deeply disturbing that the Ministry of Justice's changes to civil legal aid were based not on evidence, but on an objective to cut costs as quickly as possible."

Mr Grayling’s clear disregard for access to justice is obvious. Let’s hope that as his constituents we never need to seek redress through the courts. We know that we will not have the support of our MP if we do.

Alex Cisneros

Labour councillor candidate in Woodcote Ward

 

 


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