So now we know how much a drop in the ocean is worth – at least
in political terms.
Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls today announced that if his party were in Government they would cut the Pensioners Winter Heating Allowance
for the most well off. He said that this would save the tax payer about £100m a
year.
The Government, via its Liberal Democrat wing dismissed
this. Susan Kramer who chairs her Party’s Finance Committee dismissed the
proposal as a ‘drop in the ocean.’ So there we have it. That puts certain
things into context. In its response to the e-petition signed by over 71,000
concerned about the proposals to put Criminal Legal Aid work out to the lowest bidder
the Ministry Of Justice say that they hope it will reduce the legal aid bill by
£220m –
The right of defendants to representation by the lawyer of
their choice has been a cornerstone of our justice system. Those who face prosecution
by the state have always had equal access to the state’s resources to defend
themselves. Innocent until proven guilty as the old and rather awkward
statement goes. We now know that those treasured rights are worth 2.2 drops in
the ocean. That is how cheap justice has become. Effectively a worthless commodity
to be tossed overboard with hardly a splash – so to speak.
So what is worth more to the politicians than justice for
its citizens? Missiles certainly are! Earlier this year the Telegraph reported
a planned spend of £160 Billion over 10 years with 35.8 Billion on nuclear
submarines. That’s a lot more than a drop in the ocean. In fact it would put a
bloody big hole in the ocean!
Interestingly the cost of Defending justice almost equals
the amounts spent by the government on consultants and PR –
That is what justice is worth to this government.
The cost to us all, of losing it is beyond price.
If you haven’t already done so – scroll up the page, go back
to the online petition and sign it!!
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