Socialist solicitors take on Labour asylum ministers

ELECTION: lawyers hope to raise 100,000 for campaign

Renowned human rights solicitors are forming the vanguard of the Socialist Alliance party, which is targeting lawyers to raise 100,000 to help pay for its election campaign.The Alliance is fielding more than 90 candidates in the UK, including solicitors Louise Christian and Jim Nichol, who are challenging Home Secretary Jack Straw and Home office minister Barbara Roche respectively.Ms Christian said: 'The main motivation for standing against Barbara Roche is my disgust at the government's treatment of asylum seekers.

My firm represents a lot of asylum seekers.'Other high-profile human rights solicitors who have joined Lawyers for the Socialist Alliance include Imran Khan, solicitor to the family of Stephen Lawrence, Guildford Four solicitor Gareth Peirce, and Jane Deighton, who acted for fellow solicitor Jane Coker in her unsuccessful claim of sex discrimination against the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, over the choice of his special adviser.The group has sent lawyers a letter in an attempt to raise 100,000 for its campaign.

'The Socialist Alliance draws together all those who disagree with New Labour's pro-business programme,' the letter says.

'The government's policies will make your job of representing asylum seekers and those facing prosecution more difficult, increasing the likelihood of deportations and miscarriages of justice.'See Elections, p10 and Feature, p18Jeremy Fleming