Looking beyond the political slogan, Smith revisits Manchester's long tradition of legal innovation, from the Greater Manchester Legal Services Committee to the Greater Manchester Law Centre. He argues the real lesson is strategic public leadership rather than ideology, combining public control with innovative delivery.
After years in which legal aid has endured cuts, practitioner shortages and dwindling political attention, Smith says the next government should restore access to justice to the national agenda. He points to Scotland's coordinated legal aid model as one worth studying and urges ministers to rebuild strategic direction, encourage volunteers and recognise that 'injustice and powerlessness is a scourge' government has a duty to confront.
