Kenneth Clarke delays announcement of sentencing reforms

• MPs to examine increased discounts for early guilty pleas • Cameron backs justice secretary after rape comments furore The justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, has postponed plans to announce his sentencing reforms, including the controversial move to increase discounts for early guilty pleas, until after the Whitsun break. Clarke had hoped to announce the sentencing package designed to stabilise the record prison population next Tuesday, but that has been delayed for a few weeks while ministers look again at the impact of the controversial proposal. Downing Street expressed its full confidence in Clarke, who promised on Thursday to “choose my words more carefully in the future”. But David Cameron was privately furious with Clarke for what No 10 regarded as his “tin ear” when he appeared to suggest on Wednesday that some rape cases are more serious than others. Clarke once again apologised on Thursday night for his choice of words. In an appearance on BBC1′s Question Time he said: “I am sorry” for the “way that I put it”. Clarke added: “I am not going to deny that the reaction made it quite obvious that I

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