Clarke to choose words 'with care' - Belfast Telegraph

Thursday, 19 May 2011

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke has promised to choose his words more carefully in the wake of the row about his remarks on rape.

Amid further criticism of his differentiation between types of rape, he defiantly insisted that he was simply explaining a "long-standing factual situation".

But he acknowledged that he "must have made a very poor choice of words" which he would try to avoid in future and claimed his remarks had no bearing on his plans to offer 50% discounts on jail terms for guilty pleas in cases including rape.

Downing Street has stressed in the wake of the row, which erupted after Mr Clarke rejected the notion that "rape is rape" during a radio phone-in on Wednesday, that the Government was "still considering the policy".

But Mr Clarke offered a strong defence of the proposals when he was confronted by reporters. "What I described was a long-standing factual situation which doesn't affect my reforms," he said.

"I've made no proposals to change the sentencing for rape, I've made proposals on the discount made for a guilty plea. People are punished more if they make the witness go through the ordeal again, but that's a very long-standing arrangement which has always applied to all crimes."

He added: "Different rapes get different lengths of sentences from judges and always have, and they now follow sentencing guidelines which explain the different degrees of sentences. If I caused genuine offence to anybody by explaining that long-standing factual situation, then I must have made a very poor choice of words, so I will try to choose my words more carefully in the future."

With Labour calling for him to be sacked, the Prison Officers' Association (POA) also urged Mr Clarke to consider his position.

Steve Gillan, the POA's general secretary, said members passed a vote of no confidence in the Justice Secretary last week, "stating he was out of touch with reality".

He is due to face his critics on Thursday night when he is scheduled to appear on the BBC's Question Time - to be broadcast from Wormwood Scrubs prison with inmates in the audience.