Day 2 Letter to Ben

Dear Moron,
Following your recent comments regarding lawyers, the Legal Aid consultation and the resulting Bill, I would like to point out the following:

• I am a lawyer currently earning under £25,000 per year, employed in the not-for-profit sector.
• I have been subject to a pay freeze for 2 years because my pay is linked to that of the public sector.
• I studied and worked for 10 years to obtain my professional status, coming from a disadvantaged background and winning a scholarship to complete my legal education on the basis of excellence and my commitment to access to justice.
• I often work long hours, work weekends and evenings and rarely have time to spend with my family because of my duty to the members of the public that I serve.
• I care, passionately, about the work that I do with some of the most vulnerable members of society and am disgusted by your inference that I care only about myself.
• The publication of this idiotic Bill reduced me to tears of despair because it will stop me helping the people who need my help the most.
• I don't give a damn about money, save for the fact that I must exist and provide food and accommodation for my family.
• I have no self-interest at all, much less self-interest that is being dressed up as something else.
• I am adversarial and with good cause. I am trained to be that way when there is a case to fight and a client to defend, as is the case here.
• I do not whinge and whine, I fight my corner and the corners of those who are unable to fight for themselves. Politicians should do the same.
• You are clearly one of the government's leading Numpties and may wish to consider putting your brain in gear before trying to discuss matters that you very obviously do not fully understand.

I will expect my personal apology by return of post.


Alice.