Unsurprisingly, the whole hullaballo of the grading of rape, is a diversion to what this "legendary" minister of parliament from the thatcher years, intentions are when revising the ways criminals are convicted.
The minister made abundantly clear that the changes in criminal's sentencing may have to be reduced in order to increase vacant places within the UK. prisons, and that includes rapists. It is obscene to see the way he is being hounded by the media for something in which he was merely following instructions from the prime minister in looking into ways of cutting cost in the judiciary. All this hysterical hyperbole has certanly made his job far more difficult.
The idea was that by reducing the time a convicted person spends in prison will free up more places for the new generation of criminals, hence the grading of offences is an essential part of it.
The most important issue is not whether rape will be graded or not, the issue is as the minister stated and quote "WE CAN NOT CARRY ON IMPRISONING PEOPLE" referring to the lack of facilities.
The truth is, as social cohesion breaksdown, the people opting for a criminal life will be increasing every year. The minister should realise that the prison service is bursting at it seams and more prisons will, inevitable, have to be built to accomodate the newly qualified criminal.
The UK. has merely stepped on square number one in the game of criminal life, and that younger generations will, in larger quantities, resist the rule of the law as they see themselves disenfrinchised from maturing in a loving family environment.
The devil may care attitude in ever younger children will fill the streets with urchins and scoundrels that will make the police less tolerant of those unruly lot.

BBC News - Ken Clarke clarifies 'serious rape' remarks

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