Another Fine Mess

Politics is a funny old business and seems to be more about luck than judgement. There was poor old, already-beleaguered, Ken Clarke thinking he'd got his sentencing plans signed off on Monday, only to find on Wednesday that he's going to have to back track. It was entirely his fault of course in not being rather more careful in choosing his words judiciously during a radio 5 live interview that ended up discussing rape.

This is a very contentious issue at the best of times, but he has now almost certainly sealed the fate of the plan to increase the discount on guilty pleas from 33% to 50%. It always was a policy designed to be a money saving measure, in terms of reducing court time and prison places, but one that arguably had other consequential benefits. No doubt in choosing to use rape as an example, Mr Clarke was intent on explaining that such an increase in the discount on offer would have the benefit of not only increasing the number of convictions for rape, but also obviate the need for many victims to relive their experiences in open court. All very laudable he thought, but now destined to become an historical footnote due to a few ill-chosen turns of phrase.

Sadly the opportunistic alliance between the likes of the Daily Mail and Labour leadership now means that in all probability the draft sentencing bill will be delayed and watered down. David Cameron may well be very unhappy with his Justice Secretary and even some of his plans, but the issue remains as to how you save a shed-load of money at the same time as convincing the wider public you are not being soft on crime? Today's editorial in the Guardian makes it clear why Ken may keep his post for some time yet, but it will be very interesting indeed to see what he chooses to say later today when he appears on BBC1's Question Time from HMP Wormwood Scrubs.