I’ve been so hugely busy, what with law lecturing, festivals of burlesque cinema, podcasting with Charon and all that, that I’ve neglected to post a report of last Thursday night’s politico-legal boozefest when Head of Legal managed somehow to gatecrash Patsy’s yuletide drinks. The room at Dover House was packed, though not nearly as stuffy and unbearable as 9 Buckingham Gate was when Lord Goldsmith used to have his dos there. So forgive me for going all http://www.gooakley.com/ Niger Dempster just for one post.
All manner of legal luminaries were in attendance: not only Head of Legal and the Law Officers themselves (Baroness Scotland, who was Lovely with a capital L, the feisty Vera Baird QC and sleek Lord Davidson of Glen Clova, Advocate General for Scotland and very much at home on an occasion that involved among other things haggis canapés), plus the DPP Sir Ken McDonald but also former Attorney Lord Mayhew, Laws LJ, Richards LJ, former Solicitor General Ross Cranston QC, Secretary of State for Scotland – among other jobs – Des Browne (formally speaking the host), Treasury Solicitor Paul Jenkins and his predecessor Dame Juliet Wheldon, First Parliamentary Counsel Stephen Laws and departmental heads of legal including Richard Heaton (DWP and DH), David Hogg (HMRC) and David Green (RCPO), plus a number of their deputies. First Treasury Counsel Jonathan Swift was there too, as was Ian Burnett QC. I was a little disappointed not to see shadow cheap oakley Attorney Dominic Grieve; Lord Thomas, the LibDem shadow, may have been there – but (at the risk of sounding unintentionally catty) I didn’t notice him. Simon Hughes, who was quite friendly to non-grand people last year, was missed. As was Lord Goldsmith.
I must also mention the amazing, classy, rich in judgment and experience, Rolls-Royce and Jaguar-like civil service lawyers who work for the Law Officers but who must perforce remain anonymous – as I was while I sheltered under the wide skirt of government – and who were there quaffing their meagre wine allowance for the year; they know who they are. And (a special mention) some young government lawyers who are so brilliant of mind that government will find it hard to hold on to them. All due respect to the great ‘n’ good, some of whom may well actually be good, but I think you can sense where my affection is.
Name Dropper!
I see the Extremely Clever and Very Important Person was present at drinkies. It’s a good thing I wasn’t invited or I would have been thrown out for leaving invidious globs of lipstick on a variety of legal cheeks, much to the chargin of their beter halves…..
I’m sorry, Minx: I couldn’t resist becoming an “eight o’clock boy” and posting this. Narcissism again.
Hey, you’re feeling better, I suspect!