Senior politicians from both sides praised the work of the Low Commission, which has published a report calling for a fresh approach to social welfare law provision, following a 12-month inquiry.

 

Speaking at the Westminster launch of the report yesterday (Monday 13 January), the former leader of the Liberal-Democrats in the Lords, Tom McNally, praised the report for taking a constructive approach.

 

“I always think in politics if you are willing to do some of the work and hard graft to provide some of the solutions, you will find the doors of Whitehall open to you. Believe it or not, those hard-pressed civil servants and even more those hard-pressed ministers are looking for solutions.’

 

McNally had been the minister responsible for legal aid before stepping down in December. He spoke first at the launch event, which was hosted by the Chair of LAG, Poonam Bhari, who thanked Lord Low and his fellow commissioners for their work. The Low Commission was established by LAG just over a year ago.

 

Shadow justice minister Andy Slaughter described the report as ‘brilliant; an outstanding piece of work’, which Labour would draw on in future.

 

‘It says we are not going back. We are looking forward to other ways, whether it’s “polluter pays”, or whether it’s education, or selective restoration of [legal aid] funding. It looks at the demanding climate we are in, and I think that will be the lasting legacy of this report.’

 

One of the commission’s recommendations is for housing legal aid to be restored so people can get help before an eviction is imminent. The Commission is also calling for the Government to look again at the exceptional cases provisions for legal aid, as these do not appear to provide the "human rights safety net" which had been promised by the government.

 

Andy Slaughter added that the report would give the Labour Party ‘solace’:

“It is something that will give us hope that there is something in the future we can do to restore what has been one of the most important parts of the justice system. That is an aspiration for us in opposition and I hope we will achieve it much more easily because of the proposals the Low Commission put forward.”

 

Former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, who wrote the foreword to the report, told the audience of lawyers and campaigners it ‘fulfils a very great need’. He said that, “the sums you are talking about nationally are not great but the effect of carrying out what this report says could be transforming, could be dramatic, could make a huge difference.’ He urged the LAG to ‘find the energy and resources to do the following up, which no-one else will do,’ to ensure its proposals were acted on.

 

LAG hopes that the report will help shape the debate on the need for advice and representation in social welfare law as the general election draws nearer. Lord Woolf’s comment on the need to follow-up the report was perceptive. We are conscious of the danger of such a worthy report, as has been produced by the Low Commission, being forgotten by the politicians. Persuading the government and others with an interest in the issues, to implement the report’s recommendations will be a greater challenge for Lord Low and his fellow commissioners.

 

Please follow this link to view photographs from the event https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xr5ov1es5k0pfi2/8NVol0EpKh