Sheffield and District Law Society, which represents solicitors in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, has sent out over 60 emails to candidates in the area to ask their views on two specific areas: changes to legal aid and recent increases in court fees.
As of 29th April 2015 they had received 7 responses broken down as follows: Conservatives 2; Liberal Democrats 1; Green Party 1; Trade Union and Socialist Coalition 1; UKIP 2. To date, there have been no responses from Labour candidates, though the website does make clear that some Parliamentary email addresses may not be in use.
The responses from the Conservative candidates are the most comprehensive and concentrate on legal aid and the criminal justice system. The answers reflect Government policy and appear to have come straight from Central Office. They include a justification for the cuts to legal aid whilst making clear legal aid still exists for people most in need.
The Liberal Democrat candidate is refreshingly honest saying he “knows very little about the legal profession”.
The Green Party response is that the cuts to legal aid have affected to the most vulnerable and they support an increase in legal aid spending.
The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition candidate opposes the legal aid cuts and rise in court fees.
The most interesting answers are from the UKIP candidates; both are opposed to legal aid cuts and one makes clear that the party allows its candidates to express their own views on some policy matters. Howard Denby, the UKIP candidate for Sheffield Heeley gives a personal account of the circumstances surrounding the death of his wife and the fact that he is unable to afford proper representation at her inquest.
For the full set of responses received thus far go to: https://www.sheffieldlawsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-General-Election-2015-responses.pdf
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