Blunkett, Irvine embroiled in row over 'nanny state'

With the predictability of the trees bursting into blossom, so the first ministerial scrap of the spring comes to light.

This week, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, and Home Secretary David Blunkett 'found themselves the focus of a thinly veiled cabinet spat courtesy of a leaked letter to John Prescott, the deputy prime minister' (Financial Times 21 April).

The offending letter, leaked to the Sunday Times (20 April), came from the Lord Chancellor's Department earlier this month, and warned that 'parts of the [proposed anti-social behaviour] bill could be seen as Draconian or an extreme example of the nanny state'.

Lord Irvine continued to say that there were 'plainly human rights implications in powers being sought by Mr Blunkett to force parents of tearaways and truants to attend special counselling centres'.

Mr Blunkett responded by 'rebuking' the Lord Chancellor and 'issuing a statement which suggested that he had little experience of the misery caused by yobbish behaviour on the streets and housing estates of Britain' (Times, 21 April).

The stinging statement, which said that 'those who have no experience of the misery which anti-social behaviour can bring should not get in the way of those prepared to do something about it', was widely interpreted as disclosing the 'worsening state of the ministers' relationship and the hostility that exists between the Home Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department' (Times).

Another traditionally rocky relationship has been between lawyers and the world of advertising.

The Times took a closer look at the 'contentious topic', pointing out that 'selling sits uneasily with some lawyers who see it as grubby and unsuitable' (15 April), but for others it is a 'smashing success'.

One of the marketing successes was Addleshaw Booth & Co's sponsorship of last year's Commonwealth Games, which 'resulted in a considerable amount of new work' for the firm, and 'whetted their appetite for other big promotions'.

More controversial ventures were also wheeled out, including last year's infamous 'ditch the bitch' adverts for divorce firm Brookmans, and Hammonds' Saatchi & Saatchi-developed campaign in the late 1990s which highlighted the firm's northern roots, claiming that its expansion programme was 'faster than our whippet'.

However, firms may soon have a lot less cash to splash on advertising, according to an article in The Times which warned that 'as the economy slows, the magic circle firms are beginning to feel the same pain as the City' (15 April).

Clifford Chance has 'had something of a double whammy' in recent weeks: 'first it announced that it was cutting the salary for newly qualified lawyers from 50,000 to 48,000, and then it said last week that it would be cutting the number of assistant solicitors and support staff in its City headquarters'.

This 'headcount management' looks to be spreading across the City, with firms 'having to be tough when it comes to getting rid of non-performers...

and knuckle down to downsizing'.

According to a partner at a City firm, 'UK firms have a lot more dead wood at the top of their partnerships than the US ones', although if they follow consultancy McKinsey's policy of 'up or out', this may not be the case for much longer.

The solution for beleaguered City lawyers may be to make a career shift towards the judiciary, with the news that 'hundreds of new judges are being appointed to cope with the surge in asylum claims in the biggest recruitment exercise in the history of judicial appointments' (Times, 15 April).

In the past year, more than 100 new adjudicators have been appointed by the Lord Chancellor to cope with the record 110,000 asylum claims.

The total number of adjudicators now stands at 600, with the salary bill estimated at 40 million.

Discontent at the bar as well with the news that 'leading barristers are calling for the QC rank to be abolished' (Guardian, 14 April).

Eleven barristers from Matrix Chambers have written to the Lord Chancellor's Department claiming that the QC system 'cannot be justified as being in the public interest or promoting competition'.

The protesters include three QCs and two senior juniors 'who intend to boycott the system, make a stand and not apply for silk'.

That should make for an interesting conversation the next time Lord Irvine dines with his erstwhile pupil and now Matrix member (although not one of the 11), Cherie Booth QC.

Victoria MacCallum