Joshua Rozenberg writes about Kenneth Clarke’s anticipated announcements based on ministerial teasers forthcoming at the Conservative Party Conference. It is said he will announce the end of legal aid for private law disputes. Just a thought: if there is no legal aid for private law disputes doesn’t the government lose its single biggest piece of leverage to ‘encourage’ the diversion of parties through mediation? If there’s no carrot, parties may well have recourse to the courts as the cost of private mediation is beyond them. Sure Ken has thought of that already though.