SINKING SAILING SHIPI had thought that I had left behind my trade unionist and left leaning sympathies when I left university and learned just how difficult it is to earn a living on a self employed basis. Mrs Thatcher and becoming an employer reinforced my changed philosophy. However in the last year finding out at first hand just how much grievance our legal and non legal court staff, CPS and others have had to put up with and the resulting court chaos as a result I am at one with those for whom support of the coalition`s austerity policy is beginning to ebb. It is not just wage stand stills or redundancies per se which disturb me; it is the cack handed and myopic changes which are close to sinking a ship already lacking a ha`pworth of tar. Thus I am in total support of those who will be reducing their collective efforts this Thursday causing severe disruption at my courts and many others.

When a patient is diagnosed with life threatening obesity [read economy on the rocks] he is not put on a diet of bread and water....his calorie intake is properly managed. The coalition expects the justice system to function on just bread and water. It can`t and still live and breathe. Unfortunately the results are [to mix metaphors] below the broadsheet waterline. When they become visible people will wonder how we allowed such a state of affairs to happen.