LABOUR & CO-OP COUNCILLORS have joined a group of city advice centres in calling on the Tory-led Government to rethink their cuts to legal aid.

In a debate proposed by Labour Co-op at this month’s council meeting at Brighton Town Hall, Councillor Warren Morgan, Deputy Labour Co-op Leader will be calling on the Council to back the citywide Justice for All campaign and to write to Justice Minister Ken Clarke, expressing concern over the government’s planned cuts to legal aid, which local advice centres rely so much upon.

Councillor Morgan will pay tribute to the hard work of local advice centres and emphasise that these cuts are “short-sighted and counter-productive” because many of the issues covered by legal aid will simply incur a greater cost to taxpayers further down the line.

Over half a million people, with problems such as eviction, unfair dismissal, exclusion from school and domestic violence, will be unable to afford advice if proposed cuts go ahead. Brighton Housing Trust head Andy Winter revealed to Labour Co-op that his organisation will lose £0.5m of funding along with the resources to do preventative work or advise people on benefits. Winter predicted a rise in homelessness and warned advice centres face being swamped with enquiries. Brighton Housing Trust Chief Executive, Andy Winter, said: “A perfect storm is being created with all of the benefit cuts and now, cuts to legal aid.”

Brighton & Hove Labour & Co-operative Deputy Leader, Councillor Warren Morgan, said:

“It is irresponsible for the Tory-led Government to remove vital access to legal support when demands on advice services are higher than ever.

“Our hard working local advice centres rely on this funding, which is now under threat, to give the best possible support to the most vulnerable in this city. Justice should not only be available to those who can pay.

“That’s why Labour Co-op is calling on the Green Council to back the local Justice for All campaign and to call on the Tory-led government to rethink these short sighted and counter productive cuts to legal aid.”