As always dealing with those on ones own 'side' is far far far far more exhausting than dealing with the most trouser grabbing terrier types of the Legal Services Commission or any top judge. Everyone wants to outclever each other (why the EU was lost all the pro Eu lot in my 4 counties arguing among each other rather than organise among each other a few leaflet runs or signage days... and thus Boris deserved his get it done... its that outclevering was always the real prob...even in my development..)
I cannot remember at what point it started but from either 2006 or maybe a few years later as Straw was plotting his 'hoodwink' i began the occasional telephone chat with legal editor of The Times Frances Gibb. She always took my calls hahh hahh what a funny old turnip for the books.
Gibb dealing with all aspects of law of course.
SO in 06 she writes "child's right to anonymity ended for family courts" which looks a frankly dubious and confusing rather dangerous development taking up most of page 2 that day. And i am sure local ignorantii assume some terrible terrorist attack on some necessary sweet protection they had and gossip even more nastily of they see that one....
In subsequent chats not once did either of us ever refer to that core issue as it is so dull and her headline then so hard to put into one simple user friendly line that sums it ALL up - which is the point, but what was genuinely wonderful is how she clearly knew as was so clear from the tone of her voice how much of this whole legal system - all of it, all divisions all levels, is rife with vested interests trying to shut all sorts of people up. Awful cynical behaviour in most fields of law. She came over as quite the little Citizen Smith - sick of the lot of them... not trusting any culture within the law. Her contempt for the lot was audible.
Tragic is a society where even a simple rural yokel feels he must buy himself a telephone recording device. I did. And used it. I wonder if i recorded her...i almost certainly will have...and am very careful with my records kept.... sad also that's 'necessary'.... not that it matters i am not interested in documentary. That fails. Only melodrama with a few good laughs works. Not really my thing but i know it is for others.
