Its formation allowed a progressive tradition to survive and expand in the 20th century

Its formation allowed a progressive tradition to survive and expand in the 20th century.This is why Labour as a party ought to maintain its political and organisational integrity as much as possible, both from the point of view of how it is financed and from the perspective of how it relates to its core voters.. Working-class barristers are to be given fully funded apprenticeships under proposals backed by Cherie Booth QC which aim to end élitism at the Bar. Working-class barristers are to be given fully funded apprenticeships under proposals backed by Cherie Booth QC which aim to end élitism at the Bar. The Bar Council plans will address the inequalities of the current system where some student barristers receive generous sponsorship from their chambers while others get nothing at all.Ms Booth QC, a leading employment and human rights barrister, has described the current system of pupilage funding as "a scandal''. Speaking at the American Bar Association Conference in July, she said she had heard horror stories of student barristers incurring debts of £20,000 before they started out in practice at the Bar.Unless working-class and other disadvantaged groups were given financial support, the profession would continue to be the preserve of the rich and middle classes, she said.The Prime Minister's wife earned money posing as an artist's model to finance her training as a barrister at the chambers of the current Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg.She said little had changed for working-class students who wanted to become barristers since the days when she was an aspirant advocate from a working-class background more than 20 years ago.Now proposals for a compulsory system of funded training are being drawn up by the new chairman of the Bar Council, Roy Amlot QC, which will attempt to end inequality.In October his predecessor, Jonathan Hirst QC, used his address to the annual Bar conference to deliver a mild rebuke to Ms Booth. He told her to "take note'' that it was her husband's government that has cut student funding.

Now the Bar appears to be acting on Ms Booth's warnings about the dangers of reinforcing barrister stereotypes.Mr Amlot, speaking for the first time since he was appointed chairman of the Bar, saidthe Government was "not prepared to help'' But he added: "We must continue to open up the profession We are no longer an élitist body. We must find more ways of attracting talent from the whole spectrum of society. Students must enter the Bar with their eyes wide open to the difficulties, but there must be no artificial barriers, and funding for students is a priority.''The Bar Council is expected to vote through Mr Amlot's proposal for a compulsory system of funding when it meets next month.Mr Amlot said: "I urge the whole Bar as a matter of principle to consider, perhaps with the Inns of Court, a suitable way of providing appropriate financial support for the appropriate number of students each year.'' He said that his proposal would "do more for the Bar's public image than anything else'.'The Bar is bigger than ever before, with 10,000 in private practice and 3,000 in salaried employment. Mr Amlot accepted that reforms to the Bar brought about by the Government and competition from solicitors might lead to a smaller profession. But he said: "We may get even stronger for it.''He said different avenues of work "are opening up for us all the time''.

In a reference to Ms Booth's new human rights chambers, Matrix, he said these included human rights cases, European law, regulatory tribunal work and international work.. George Carman was on holiday at the Cipriani in Venice, reclining under an umbrella at the bar beside the pool, sipping a glass of Dom Perignon and gently flirting with the stylish women in bikinis who would stop by his table. George Carman was on holiday at the Cipriani in Venice, reclining under an umbrella at the bar beside the pool, sipping a glass of Dom Perignon and gently flirting with the stylish women in bikinis who would stop by his table. But the reading matter beside the QC was not a holiday paperback, but a thick bundle of legal documents on the libel action between the former Irish premier Albert Reynolds and a Sunday newspaper. Having digested the papers he called a fellow lawyer in London and rapidly fired off suggestions for a line of questions intended to reduce Mr Reynolds to a quivering wreck. Carman ended with: "I think I have earned myself another glass of champagne.""Gorgeous George" was in his element, immersing himself in his obsession with the work which had made him an internationally famous figure and also earned the millions which allowed him to sample the best things in life.But just four days after that call in August last year Mr Carman announced to a shocked legal world that he was retiring due to prostrate cancer. Mr Reynolds would have to be dealt with by others, as would cases involving Marco Pierre White, Lawrence Dallaglio and Bruce Grobbelaar, typical of the high-profile cases he handled.

Those who had spoken to Mr Carman in this past week or so found him weak and tired. He was having radiotherapyand was in discomfort.But his death was still a shock. The news spread quickly, among lawyers, politicians and journalists, the sort of people he mixed with most. They were on the phone to each other, telling their favourite Carman stories.The thrice-married ladies' man had not gone gently into the night. After just a few months under intensive treatment he appeared recently in Newsnight being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman as one of the great personalities of the year Another television interview was to be broadcast next week. He told an Independent journalist who had asked him to lunch in the future that he had planned to campaign for fellow cancer sufferers once and if his condition improved. "But don't think it's going to be a cheap lunch just because I am ill," he said.Mr Carman, 71, was undoubtedly the most famous barrister of his generation.

And that cliché, "We shall never see the like of him again" probably holds true in this case. The case list he built in his 47 awesome years included Jeremy Thorpe, Jonathan Aitken, Geoffrey Prime, the GCHQ spy, Richard Branson, Mohamed Al Fayed against Neil Hamilton, Elton John, Ken Dodd, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Sonia Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper's wife, Gillian Taylforth, Imran Khan against Alan Lamb and Ian Botham, Carol Richardson in the Guildford Four appeal.So fearsome had his reputation become that there was often a scramble to secure Carman's services before the other side got to him. Often a letter informing an opponent that Mr Carman had been retained was enough for them to concede Many of his clients kept in touch after the cases. Elton John sent a crate of champagne, Tom Cruise a crate of fine wines. Yesterday other grateful clients paid their tributes.Mr Carman had represented Sir Richard Branson in court cases against British Airways and Guy Snowden of GTech. Yesterday the Virgin chief said: "He was not only a fantastic, able and intelligent man but he was also a true gentleman and great fun to be with." Ken Dodd, who was cleared of tax evasion after he was defended by Mr Carman, said: "He was a brilliant advocate and a lovely humorous man ... he was the most brilliant advocate because he had style, and an intellect." Mohamed Al Fayed said: "It was an honour to have seen him fight for justice."For every victor there was a loser.