Ken Clarke starts to lay out the battle lines...

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke may be setting himself on a collision course with UK lawyers.

“We are going to have to make savings and it’s going to upset the legal profession. It has already upset them,” he told Lobbydog.

We were talking about how savings might be made from the legal aid bill – money the Government pays to lawyers so that people who can’t afford to defend themselves in court can have legal advice.

The previous Government had already reduced the amount they were paid and Clarke suggested things were only going down hill from here.

“There is less [money] in the pipeline, the previous Government already launched on that. They [lawyers] are all complaining. But my starting point is there is no way I can go back on what the previous Government has already done.

“One thing they can’t expect is that we’re going to cancel what they’re already protesting about even though it hasn’t come into effect.

“And there could be more [cuts] further down the road.”

Under Thatcher Clarke had a reputation for being a bruiser who could push through tough decisions – looks like he’s planning on living up to it.