David Cameron made a great show on Tuesday of pledging to be tough on crime. He bowdlerised the most contentious and liberal elements of Ken Clarke’s proposals and vowed that
“the right thing to do is to reform prison and make it work better, not cut sentences.” He insisted that his change of heart was a sign of strength, but even the least cynical
observer could detect a sop to the mutinous Tory right.
Well, it seems that the withdrawal has not gone far enough. The Sunday Times reports (£) that several backbenchers object to the redrafted Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, on grounds that manifesto pledges have been broken. For example, bail while awaiting trial or sentence will count towards the total jail term for the first time.
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