If I arrived in the UK without any knowledge of Clementi, Jackson, the Legal Services Act, the MoJ portal for low-value RTA claims, the CMC boom and the ‘compensation culture’, I might be forgiven for believing that ‘there are few areas where Britain is stronger than in the law’.

If I didn’t know about the removal of £350m from the legal aid budget, with the result that as many as 50,000 individuals will now be acting in person, I might also believe the stated intention to ‘build on our success’.

If I didn’t know that Charles Plant had asked the question: when will eight regulators go into one? I might believe that The Legal Services Act 2007 does offer a ‘dependable regulatory regime’.

If I didn’t know that Kenneth Clarke was the head of the legal profession, I might find myself driven to the conclusion that he gives a compelling performance representing only those within that profession whose expertise is in commercial law.

John Holtom, managing partner, Legal Solutions Partnership, Luton