Tell Me 

I saw these lads in a pub in Middlesbrough last night. The experience left me feeling simultaneously old and young. My comment to Mrs SP the other week, that I need a paisley opera scarf, also proved bang on the money – that, sideburns and a Weller haircut. They are great live so if you […]

The Next Steps 

I do not intend to dignify this with a detailed rebuttal; it is a groundless cost cutting exercise nothing more, the talk of “transformation” and so forth are weasel words. It is also entirely clear that reason does not work and, indeed, is a thorough waste of time. I am in no position to comment […]

The E-Portal Opens 

The Mental Health/Community Care (also being called 2014 face-to-face contracts) has now opened – best part of a week late. It is not clear what occasioned the delay and certainly there does not seem, superficially, to be any significant, unexpected changes brought about by further consideration of the consultation responses. The key date is Noon, […]

Immortality 

Do you read those questionnaires in weekend colour supplements? If so do you ever wonder how you would answer? There is one, which asks – “How would you like to be remembered?” My proposed answer is – “For creating a single wise, yet brilliant, quote which slips into popular usage” And it came to pass […]

LALY 

Once again its LALY time – the first sign of spring. (Surely every reader here must know that that means Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year?) Here is a nomination form. I know I say it every year but really will make an effort to get to the event this time.

Bid Round Update 

So “early next week” does not mean Monday morning it seems and we still await the opening of the Mental Health/Community Care Bid Round. Time limits, deadlines – I know, its one rule for them and a completely different one for the rest of us. Yes we’d receive a contract sanction. Do watch this space […]

Man Flu Alert 

Lack of posting here has been due to a severe bout of that deadliest of complaints. You will be pleased to know that I survived the touch-and-go first weekend and that there is a chance I will make a full recovery. For those unfamiliar with the illness here is a short documentary.

Come to This 

We are fighting over £1.90. To be fair that is £1.90 a single journey so £3.80 a day. In total then, if the advocate goes to Court every working day of the year, that’s about a grand. The £1.90 in question is the difference between a taxi fare and the cost of public transport between […]

Three Minute Hero? 

Three minutes. That’s how long it took to take a Cost Judge through all the salient points regarding an LAA refusal of a £12K Crown Court Litigators Fee claim. A minute of that, or perhaps 30 seconds, was dealing with costs – all of which will now fall to be paid out of the hard […]

The Old & The Young 

Fate has conspired to enable 3 of us to meet and plan our international marketing campaign (no really) on the same night Midlake are in Manchester. If we get finished in time we might go and here stuff like this;