The official guide to the Liberal Democrats’ Spring conference is something of an irony free zone this year:
This will doubtless be of much interest to certain former cabinet members.
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Tag Archives: chris huhne
Coalition parties attacked severance pay – but Chris Huhne keeps £17,000
Remaining silent in the face of criticism of his severance pay, one can only assume Chris Huhne is intent on trousering the £17,000 he is officially entitled to after police charges forced him from office.
While we’re not sure that the Scrapbook team hold much sway with the sharp-elbowed member for Eastleigh, perhaps he might listen to the wisdom of his colleauges. Step forward pensions minister Steve Webb:
“People will be shocked to learn that former ministers get these pay-offs even when they have been sacked or left of their own free will … While thousands are losing their jobs, failed ministers get a huge payout on top of their salary as MPs. This can’t go on.”
And surely Chris will remember this broadside from Sayeeda Warsi — he was sharing a platform with her at the time:
“At a time when people across the country are being asked to tighten their belts to deal with Labour’s economic mess, it is unacceptable that the very people responsible, walk away with up to £20,000 each. Forfeiting this pay would be the first step towards accepting their responsibility”
Yet another case of “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Ed Davey speeds to the airport
It appears that traffic cameras aren’t the only way to track the historical movements of cabinet ministers.
We trust the new energy secretary maintained an appropriate speed in these poor driving conditions.
Chris Huhne’s career is toast – will Andrew Lansley be next?
With Huhne’s cabinet career now in tatters, could the fate of the member for Eastleigh also hasten the exit of the health secretary? Lobby hack James Macintyre certainly thinks so:
Tory source tells me Lansley is "toast" at forthcoming reshuffle the timing of which depends on Huhne verdict.
@James_Macintyre
James Macintyre
With the Health Bill the runaway winner for “most botched coalition legislation” , it’s surely just a matter of timing.
It’s Huhne day!
With the Crown Prosecution Service to announce whether they will prosecute Chris Huhne at 10am, let’s remind ourselves what the energy secretary was spinning eight months ago:
“These allegations are simply incorrect. They’ve been made before and they’ve been shown to be untrue”
… here comes the best bit …
“and I very much welcome the referal to the police as it will draw a line under the matter.”
Be careful what you wish for, Chris.
Police demand Chris Huhne charges on perverting the course of justice
Police have urged the Crown Prosecution Service to bring criminal charges against Chris Huhne, The Times has revealed (£). Alongside an accusation of speeding, a file sent to the Crown Prosecution Service suggests Huhne and his estranged wife, Vicky Pryce should face the much more serious charge of perverting the course of justice — an offence carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The alleged original offence dates back to 2003, when Huhne’s car was caught speeding on the M11 and his wife took the resultant points on her license. But Vicky Pryce subsequently told The Sunday Times that it was her husband who was behind the wheel.
This one’s going out to you, Chris:
What is it with members of the coalition and the police this week?
Back into the eye of the storm
Three days after Essex Police met with the Crown Prosecution Service to discuss allegations of speeding points fraud, Chris Huhne busied himself checking emails as he caught the train back from Gatwick Airport a few minutes ago.
At least he wasn’t driving.
Did Huhne overclaim MEP expenses on flight 7775 from Strasbourg?
Efforts to place Chris Huhne “at the scene of the crime” have focused considerable attention on the boarding list for Ryanair flight 7775 from Strasbourg to Stansted. The route was popular with British MEPs and The Sun reports that Huhne made the trip alongside Nigel Farage on 12 March 2003. This would put the energy secretary in the vicinity of the southbound speed camera on the way back from the airport.
While the expenses section of Chris Huhne’s official website opens up with a lecture on politicians’ use of public funds, it remains to be seen whether his claims as an MEP in the early naughties pass muster:
“MPs shoud spend taxpayers’ money carefully, which is why Chris Huhne has claimed less in MPs’ expenses than any other Member of Parliament in Hampshire during this last parliament.”
Under a now abolished flat-rate expenses rules, reimbursement for MEP travel was calculated on the distance covered and mode of transport. The sum available to British representatives was enough to cover a first class seat on a top-name airline. Under the old scheme, however, MEPs were entitled to fly on a budget carrier and pocket the difference.
While castigating Labour and the Tories on expenses in 2009, Nick Clegg admitted he overclaimed as an MEP to fund his office, no doubt staffed by Liberal Democrat activists.
Huhne’s website goes on to boast:
“Chris was also one of the first MPs to publish his expenses in detail on his own website before required to do so.”
Call us cynics, but Chris might be less keen to publish his travel claims for March 2003.