Cynics would say that ‘politics’ and ‘u-turn’ have been mutual friends for centuries. Obiter prefers to recall the (attributed) words of John Maynard Keynes: ‘When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?’ Whatever. But with a general election probably still the greater part of a year away, it’s worth reminding ourselves that the road from an opposition politician’s pledge to an elected government’s policy can be a long and tortuous one.

For example, back in April 2005, a Conservative politician told the Gazette in the run-up to the general election that, if elected, he ‘would not accept various aspects of the Clementi review, such as non-lawyers owning law firms and moves away from self-regulation’.

The politician’s name was Dominic Grieve. Four years on, we asked if the shadow justice secretary was still opposed to those consequences of the Legal Services Act. His office replied: ‘although we raised concerns at the time, there are no plans to alter the legislation.’

In any case, Grieve has other fish to fry. He is winning widespread support in the legal profession for his robust scepticism regarding best value tendering (BVT).

Another case of ‘raising concerns’ from the safety of opposition? Grieve’s office gave short shrift to the suggestion.

In 2005, electoral defeat meant that Tory opposition to ‘Tesco law’ passed in to history. But with Gordon Brown now peering over the precipice, opposition promises are a harder currency. Even if the facts change, any change of mind on BVT will attract little mercy.