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Have I Got News For You slammed for ‘insulting’ strike gag

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By Thomas Connelly on
14

Criminal barristers fail to see funny side of Twitter post

The official Twitter account for Have I Got News For You has come under fire from criminal barristers after it posted a joke appearing to poke fun at their earnings.

Shortly after news broke yesterday that criminal barristers had voted overwhelming favour of taking uninterrupted strike action in protest over government set fees for legal aid work, the BBC show’s blue-tick account tweeted: “Spokesman for barristers issues short statement confirming they’re going on strike, before adding ‘that’ll be £3,457 please”.

The joke missed the mark with many on Twitter, with the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) branding it “insulting to all involved in the Criminal Justice System”.

“Wrong and not very funny,” one criminal lawyer wrote. “But the replies and the quote tweets demonstrate that the public are better informed than whoever drafted this lazy tweet.”

Equally annoyed, another pupil barrister responded: “And this is the problem. The humour here is exaggeration, underpinned by the popular belief that barristers do bill by the minute at significant sums. ‘Oh those lawyers, they earn enough already.’ This is what the Gov will rely on over the next months. This is the challenge.”

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And the negative responses kept on coming…

The CBA confirmed yesterday morning that nearly 80% of the 2,055 members who voted had agreed down tools on an indefinite basis from Monday 5 September. This is major escalation of the current programme alternating weeks of strike action implemented since late June.

The association says the government’s 15% uplift to legal aid fees (due to come into force at the end of September) is insufficient and is demanding a 25% rise to prevent a further exodus of barristers from the criminal bar.

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14 Comments

Lighten up

IT’S A JOKE!

(51)(10)

Naice ham

Barristers doing their level best to confirm the stereotype of being pompous, humourless and prickly.

(67)(12)

Alan

Snowflake attention seekers like this give the profession a bad name.

(12)(11)

£400 Horsehair Wig

They really do think everyone outside of the profession is thick, don’t they?

(13)(11)

Little Birdhouse on your Head

1 in 5 barristers want to carry on earning a living.

Very few will carry on working however as they don’t want to be called a scab.

(5)(2)

Crime Doesn’t Pay

The CBA does realise no-one likes then and that asking for more than 15% is just madness?

(4)(8)

Mulberry Handbags At Dawn

The CBA is sure the public will work out how special and clever they all are. This will be achieved by picketing fully robed and telling everyone how their job is only for the very special and very clever.

(4)(0)

Commercial Lawyer

I thought it was funny and the price was quite cheap. I wouldn’t look at anything for four grand.

(9)(2)

M McFly

Hey! Lighten up, jerk!

(3)(0)

M McFly

Hey! Lighten up, jerk!

(2)(0)

Junior Criminal Barrister

It isn’t a funny joke at all and makes the message impossible to deliver. It’s bad enough that so many Scabs are breaking the picket/going to work – but then again this probably why we should unionise properly and then maybe we could sort out strike pay like other sectors so that scabs have no excuse.

(3)(7)

Barristers have no friends

This post alone is a good reason to let you guys stay on your minimal pay.

(6)(1)

Trim Tram

A bad 1980s miners’ strike TV drama called. They want their script back. Presumably this line was meant to be delivered in a heavy Northern accent?

(5)(1)

Archibald Pomp O'City

lol, I wouldn’t want you representing me…EVEN FOR FREE!

(0)(0)

Comments are closed.

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