No 10 happy if row makes it look tough

From one perspective, having a stand-up row with an organisation meant to advise the government on a key policy area is a bit unseemly.

- Peter Walker

From one perspective, having a stand-up row with an organisation meant to advise the government on a key policy area is a bit unseemly. But it is fair to say that Downing Street is ready - you could even say happy - to take on the Sentencing Council.

The row over a review to sentencing guidelines for England and Wales escalated yesterday after the council rejected government demands that it U-turn over a plan for judges to take account of pre-sentence reports before jailing someone from an ethnic or religious minority.

The council insists that the plans, which would also cover young adults, abuse survivors and pregnant women, are merely to provide context for judges, and that No 10's worries about "two-tier" justice misunderstood the idea.