Poor Gordon, Statesman of the Year and still Obama won’t hang out with him. Political analysts have tried to single out a reason; the legal and political quagmire created by the Lockerbie bomber’s release being the most obvious. But waning popularity at home won’t help. As business minister Shriti Vadera abandons the sinking ship and the attorney general hangs on by a thread, the putrid smell of political gangrene isn’t going to attract an operator as sharp as the US President .

Meanwhile, the dirty dance of politics and law gets steamier each day as Baroness Scotland’s position as the UK’s top law bod looks increasingly under pressure – media sniper Max Clifford will ensure maximum publicity for the housekeeper and continued embarrassment for all concerned. Not helpful with Labour’s conference just around the corner. For a barrister’s view of the semantic and legal intricacies check out Carl Gardner’s analysis at Head of Legal (via Charon QC). All in a week that started with legal-political embarrassment as news broke that Patricia Hewitt’s son was arrested for alleged cocaine possession.

By comparison, law firms have had fairly modest headlines this week. The news that the magic circle firms have slashed prices should ease the red faces brought on by their rather large profits over the last year. Whilst the stories showing that the junior end of the profession is still paying some of price of the downturn with the loss of more vacation schemes and more deferred start dates keeps things sober. More sobering still is news of another casualty reported by The Lawyer today – a Wirral firm, Lees Lloyd Whitley, has gone into administration; on top of that speculation is rife about other firms that are struggling…

So, is there anything to look forward to? Well, Spandau Ballet have announced they are releasing their first single in 20 years.