HUHNE : THE HIGH AND MIGHTY FALLEN.

So now we know that yet another politician is a liar. Chris Huhne, one-time would-be leader of the Liberal Democrats, has admitted that he did, indeed, pervert the course of justice by getting his then wife to accept a speeding points penalty for an offence committed when he was actually the driver.

 

Huhne was born to a wealthy lifstyle and became even wealthier through various business ventures in the City. He subsequently tried to enter politics, first in 1983 when he failed to win a seat, and again unsuccessfully in 1987. In 1999, he managed to get into the European Parliament and, finally, in 2005 he became MP for Eastleigh in Hampshire. He became, very quickly, one of the party's most high profile members and challenged Sir Menzies Campbell for its leadership within months of becoming an MP; on that occasion he was beaten easily but he was a much more serious challenger in 2007 when he lost to Nick Clegg by only a few hundred votes. A handful of votes different and he may well have become Deputy Prime Minister rather than Clegg.

 

Sadly for Huhne, in 2003 he was prepared to try to avoid a speeding points penalty by arranging for his then wife to say that she had been driving; she now says that he coerced her, though how has yet to be revealed. Regardless, the revelation of these events led to a police investigation and both Huhne and his wife being charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, a charge that Huhne initially denied vigorously but now accepts and which may well see him spending time in prison. He has already resigned his parliamentary seat and must know that his political career is over. This can only be seen as yet another example of someone in authority believing themself to be above the law; if he had admitted his offence at the outset, he would still be a man of influence, instead he is just another convicted liar.

 

The by-election which will now have to be called in his former constituency will be a fight to savour. For the first time, the coalition partners will go head-to-head and there is the added bonus that UKIP may also decide to join in. This could be an election which tells us a great deal about what the British people really think of the crooks and liars who rule over us. For creating this opportunity, perhaps we should all actually thank Huhne, while also being very glad that at least one of them has gone for good.