Tag Archives: chris huhne

The Sun story about Chris Huhne that was a total invention (and which the other papers happily copied)

By Stephen Tall | Sun 19th May 2013 - 1:15 pm

Remember that front page Sun story from 13 March? On the off-chance Voice readers missed this exclusive, let’s refersh your memory of the splash:

Disgraced MP Chris Huhne was ridiculed on his first day in Wandsworth jail yesterday — after a warder called him to breakfast by yelling “Order! Order!”

Only one small problem with the story: it was a complete fabrication.

The Guardian’s Roy Greenslade has the story:

Posted in News | Also tagged roy greenslade, the guardian and the sun | 15 Comments

A brief (recent) history of the Lib Dems’ flagship tax-cut for the low-paid

By Stephen Tall | Thu 21st March 2013 - 8:00 am

George Osborne’s fourth budget saw him finalise the commitment to implement in full the Lib Dems’ number one manifesto commitment: taking out of income tax all those who earn less than £10k a year.

It prompted this post by my Co-Editor Caron Lindsay yesterday – Why it’s worth being a member of the Liberal Democrats – recalling the recent history of this focus on raising the tax-free allowance. Which in turn triggered this comment by Alex Wilcock, recalling the slightly less recent history:

The fact is, raising thresholds was party policy in the 1990s, then put back on the agenda when Chris Huhne made it the central plank of his Leadership campaign in February 2006.

Curious, I thought I’d do a quick fact-check. Here’s what I found:

Posted in News | Also tagged alex wilcock, caron lindsay, Centre for Policy Studies, general election manifesto, maurice saatchi and tax cuts (Lib Dem) | 6 Comments

After prison

By Mary Reid | Tue 12th March 2013 - 1:30 pm

A former journalist, who rose through the political ranks to become a cabinet minister, resigns in the midst of a scandal of his own making, strenuously denies the allegations but is convicted of perverting the course of justice and goes to prison, with his political career and reputation destroyed.

That was the tragedy of Jonathan Aitken, who has been doing the media rounds in the last 24 hours.

I want to tell his story – it happened some years ago so some readers may not remember – because it is a tale of redemption.

The incident that led to his downfall took place in when he was Minister of State for Defence Procurement, but it only came to light in 1995 after he had been promoted to Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He accepted hospitality, in the form of nights at the Ritz in Paris, from a Saudi businessman. The Guardian unearthed the story and Granada investigated it further in World in Action documentary.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged jonathan aitkin and prison reform | 8 Comments

Mike Thornton MP’s maiden speech

By Helen Duffett | Tue 12th March 2013 - 9:49 am

The newest Liberal Democrat MP spoke for the first time in Parliament yesterday in a debate on the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill, paying tribute to the work of his predecessors David Chidgey and Chris Huhne. As is traditional, he praised his constituency and described its history as a bustling industrial and railway town.

Mike Thornton began by thanking all those who campaigned with him during last month’s by-election, and the voters of Eastleigh for putting their faith in him.

Mike’s full speech, as recorded in Hansard:

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to make my maiden speech during this important

…

Posted in Parliament | Also tagged david chidgey, eastleigh, financial services bill and mike thornton | Leave a comment

Huhne / Pryce: I just don’t see how ‘prison works’ for anyone here

By Stephen Tall | Tue 12th March 2013 - 8:10 am

His crime was speeding then lying (and lying some more). Her crime was lying and self-immolating revenge. Last night they spent their first night in prison.

Few people will spare much sympathy for either Chris Huhne or Vicky Pryce. They are, as Mr Justice Sweeney said yesterday when sentencing the pair to eight months each, the architects of their own downfall. Though I also think it would take a particularly stony heart not to look at the ashen-faced photos of them, besieged by a mob-handed press as their humiliation is played out in real-time in the full glare of publicity, and …

Posted in News and Op-eds | Also tagged crime, prisons and vicky pryce | 48 Comments

Liberal Democrat Voice team discusses…..the Huhne/Pryce sentencing

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 11th March 2013 - 8:45 pm

It may not surprise you to know that the team at Liberal Democrat Voice quite often talk to each other about how we’re feeling about events in the news. We tend to write our own posts, though. I thought it might be a good idea to occasionally do a single post where several of us contribute our opinions on an issue of the day.

I think all of us share a sense of sadness at the way the destruction of a family has unfolded in front of us, disappointment that a highly effective minister is now in a prison cell in …

Posted in News | Also tagged featured, LDV team discuss and vicky pryce | 14 Comments

++ Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce sentenced

By NewsHound | Mon 11th March 2013 - 5:05 pm

The judge has delivered the sentences at the end of the trials at Southwark Crown Court in which Chris Huhne pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, and Vicky Pryce was found guilty of the same offence.

Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce have each been sentenced to 8 months in jail.

You can read a full account of what happened today during the hearing on the Guardian blog, thanks to some detailed tweeting from inside the court by Peter Walker, a Guardian journalist.

Posted in News | Also tagged vicky pryce | 27 Comments

It’s not just the Lib Dem leadership trying to ignore the ‘secret courts’ row: the news media is too

By Stephen Tall | Sun 10th March 2013 - 12:10 pm

I had an odd experience on Friday. I was doing a round of media interviews – 3 for TV, 3 for radio – previewing the Lib Dem conference. I’d been called by researchers in advance to ‘get my take’ on the key issues. Each time, I said there was a big issue on which the party leadership could expect to be defeated and which would see activists from across the broad spectrum of the Lib Dems united: opposition to secret courts. This received an “Uh-hum” response which I took for baffled boredom. And as expected, each interview in turn dwelt …

Posted in News and Op-eds | Also tagged 2013 brighton spring conference, chris rennard, featured, media, secret courts, shirley williams and vicky pryce | 7 Comments

Huhne / Pryce: this is a human drama, not a political story

By Stephen Tall | Thu 7th March 2013 - 8:33 pm

It was the number of voicemail messages on my mobile (having been holed up in meetings for my non-political day-job) that alerted me a story had broken this afternoon. A clutch of requests from news stations eager to know what the political fall-out for the Lib Dems would be from Vicky Pryce being found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

My short answer? I just can’t see it. Vicky Pryce is the ex-wife of an ex-MP. Yes, it’s a compelling human drama, a modern morality tale of how …

Posted in News | Also tagged featured, james kirkup and vicky pryce | 22 Comments

Vicky Pryce found guilty

By Nick Thornsby | Thu 7th March 2013 - 3:13 pm

The BBC reports:

The former wife of ex-cabinet minister Chris Huhne has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice by taking speeding points on his behalf.

Vicky Pryce, 60, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of committing the offence over a speeding incident on the M11 in Essex in 2003.

She had denied the charge, saying Huhne had forced her to take the points.

Pryce has been bailed pending a sentencing hearing.

Posted in News | Also tagged vicky pryce | 5 Comments

++Breaking News: Jury in Vicky Pryce trial discharged after failing to reach a verdict

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 20th February 2013 - 2:27 pm

The BBC reports that the jury in Vicky Pryce’s trial for perverting the course of justice has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict. This comes after almost 4 days of deliberation. This morning they handed the judge a list of ten questions which the BBC have reported here.

A retrial with a new jury will start next Monday. It’s likely that sentencing of her ex husband, Chris Huhne, will be delayed until after this new trial.

As this matter remains sub judice, personal comments about either Vicky or Chris won’t be published at least until the trial has concluded …

Posted in News | Also tagged trial and vicky pryce | 14 Comments

Eastleigh by-election: your essential round-up of the latest campaign news (12 Feb)

By Stephen Tall | Tue 12th February 2013 - 8:20 pm

Here’s a round-up of news from the past 24 hours in the Eastleigh by-election…

Nick Clegg offered Lib Dem candidate Mike Thornton his full backing on a visit to Eastleigh on Monday. Here‘s the Guardian report:

“I am confident we will keep hold of this seat but not because I say so but because the people of Eastleigh are telling us that,” said Clegg. Focusing on the party’s local dominance – it is the only place in the country where every councillor at district and county level is a Liberal Democrat – he said voters would focus on its “record of action” and said the party had “to be quite clear where our differences lie”. … Speaking after meeting students at the local college, Clegg said: “Cutting council tax, promoting more apprenticeships, creating jobs, protecting green spaces – those are things that Liberal Democrats haven’t just talked about, they are things they have actually done and it’s a record of which we are tremendously proud.”

It’s not just Nick Clegg who’s been doing his Eastleigh stint, though. Pictured above (with thanks to Jon Aylwin) is North Devon MP Nick Harvey out canvassing with Mike and some of his supporters.

Fantastic day of campaigning here with @eastleighlibdem. Thanks to the 100′s of you who turned out to help canvass, deliver, stuff envelopes

— Mike Thornton (@Mike4Eastleigh) February 12, 2013

Want to join the hundreds of Lib Dems who are doing their bit to help get Mike elected as the next Lib Dem MP for Eastleigh on 28th February? Here’s a reminder of how YOU can make a difference:

Volunteer to help in Eastleigh itself

Make phone calls for the party if you can’t get there in person

Give a donation to help fund the campaign.

Posted in News and Parliamentary by-elections | Also tagged diane james, eastleigh by-election, john o'farrell, jon aylwin, kiran stacey, Maria Hutchings, martin shapland, mike thornton, naked rambler, neil hamilton, nick clegg, nick harvey, polly toynbee and stephen gough | 5 Comments

5 reasons for Lib Dems to campaign in Eastleigh (just in case you needed any more)

By Stephen Tall | Fri 8th February 2013 - 8:15 am

Mark Pack has posted last night’s poll findings from Eastleigh, showing the Tories narrowly ahead with both Labour and Ukip out of serious contention. In case you needed some reasons to help the Lib Dem campaign in the next three weeks in whatever way you’re able here are 5 from me…

The Lib Dems can win…

Lord Ashcroft’s poll is pretty ideal for the party: it piles the pressure on the Tories as early front-runners, while confirming how tight the contest will be. The Lib Dems’ local strength is significant …

Posted in News and Parliamentary by-elections | Also tagged eastleigh, featured, lord ashcroft and Mark Pack | 7 Comments

Tessa Munt and Tim Farron on Chris Huhne’s downfall

By The Voice | Mon 4th February 2013 - 7:40 pm

Reaction to Chris Huhne’s shock decision to plead guilty to perverting the course of justice over a 2003 speeding case and to quit as MP for Eastleigh has been rolling throughout the day.

Here’s two of Chris’s backbench colleagues on today’s events. First, Lib Dem MP for Wells, Tessa Munt, who praised his work as a “fantastic constituency MP”:

Posted in News and YouTube | Also tagged tessa munt and tim farron | 11 Comments

The end of Chris Huhne’s career in politics: initial reactions

By Stephen Tall | Mon 4th February 2013 - 12:25 pm

Chris Huhne’s political career is over. That’s not a sentence I expected to be typing today.

I had thought Chris would somehow squeak through his court case by the skin of his teeth. Certainly when I spoke to Chris at the last Lib Dem conference he was confident (his default mode, it’s true, but still). But now his career lies in tatters.

Last year he resigned as a cabinet minister; this year he’ll resign as an MP. And all over a speeding charge – or more to the point his attempt …

Posted in News | Also tagged featured | 78 Comments

++ Chris Huhne to resign as MP

By NewsHound | Mon 4th February 2013 - 12:11 pm

From the BBC:

Former cabinet minister Chris Huhne has said he will resign as an MP, after he pleaded guilty to to perverting the course of justice.

Huhne admitted charges against him over claims his ex-wife Vicky Pryce took speeding points for him a decade ago.

Aides to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told the BBC he was “shocked and saddened” by the Lib Dem MP’s conduct.

A by-election is now expected in his seat of Eastleigh in Hampshire, where he has a majority of nearly 4,000.

The prime minister’s official spokesman declined to comment on the former minister’s resignation, saying only: “It is

…

Posted in News | 10 Comments

++ Chris Huhne pleads guilty to perverting the course of justice

By NewsHound | Mon 4th February 2013 - 10:23 am

Dramatic news from the BBC:

Former cabinet minister Chris Huhne has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice over claims his ex-wife Vicky Pryce took speeding points for him a decade ago.

The Lib Dem MP, 58, had originally pleaded not guilty to the charge at Southwark Crown Court.

BBC chief political correspondent Norman Smith said:

We can safely say that his political career is over.

As legal proceedings are currently taking place, personal comments about either Vicky or Chris won’t be published at least until the trial has concluded and then only if …

Posted in News | 17 Comments

Chris Huhne to stand trial next Monday

By NewsHound | Mon 28th January 2013 - 5:14 pm

From the BBC:

Former cabinet minister Chris Huhne and his ex-wife are to stand trial next Monday over allegations she took speeding points for him so he could avoid prosecution.

The Lib Dem MP, 58, pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

Posted in News | 9 Comments

Ed Davey MP writes… The Green Deal goes live

By Edward Davey MP | Mon 28th January 2013 - 2:55 pm

Today marks a very significant achievement of our party in Government. The Green Deal is being launched.

After two and half years of toil the pledge in our manifesto to, “offer a home energy improvement package … paid for by the savings from lower energy bills” has become reality.

Chris Huhne started the ball rolling way back in 2010 and Nick Clegg and I are visiting a college in Sheffield today to mark the opening of a brand new market in home energy efficiency and meet trainees in home insulation.

Millions of homes do not have full double-glazing. More than half do not …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged featured, green deal and nick clegg | 10 Comments

John Leech MP writes… Remembering the reasons for Leveson

By John Leech MP | Tue 27th November 2012 - 1:25 pm

The Manchester Evening News has a regular slot in the paper where they get a number of MPs to write an opinion column on topical issues of their choice. This week just happened to be my turn, so I thought that I would comment on the eagerly awaited Leveson report, due out on Thursday.

For those of you who don’t know, the MEN is owned by Trinity Mirror, and along with other major newspaper groups, are totally opposed to independent regulation of the press. They claim that regulation will be the end of freedom of expression. How ironic then, that the …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged andy coulson, david cameron, gordon brown, independent police complaints commission, leveson inquiry, milly dowler, nick clegg, rebekah brooks, rupert murdoch and tony blair | 8 Comments

ELDR Congress: I’m not about to craic up…

By Mark Valladares | Thu 8th November 2012 - 4:52 pm

Welcome to the former lair of the Celtic Tiger, a city of stories, some of them true, and enough cliche to bury an elephant, Dublin, the host city for this year’s ELDR Congress, hosted by Fianna Fail.

The focus of this year’s event is on energy transition and, given that the EU remains worryingly dependent on imports of oil and gas from some rather unstable corners of the world, it is a subject that might not be obviously sexy, it is one that has a huge impact on European citizens.

Posted in Europe / International and News | Also tagged eldr, energy policy, featured and nick clegg | 3 Comments

Jo Swinson, Julian Huppert & David Laws top Lib Dem members’ reshuffle promotion wish-list

By Stephen Tall | Thu 23rd August 2012 - 7:55 am

Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 500 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

LDV asked: Which backbench Lib Dem MPs who are not current ministers would you like to see promoted? (Please write-in.) (NB: I’ve set the cut-off for inclusion in this list at 5 individual mentions.)

Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged david laws, duncan hames, Jo Swinson, julian huppert, reshuffle, tessa munt and tim farron | 7 Comments

In other news… Michael Brown extradited, unpaid party internships, Jo Swinson for cabinet? & other stories

By Stephen Tall | Tue 24th April 2012 - 5:37 pm

Here’s a round-up of stories we haven’t had time to cover on the site this past few days…

Lib Dem donor Michael Brown to be extradited to UK (BBC News)

Convicted fraudster and former Lib Dem donor Michael Brown is facing a hearing in Spain for extradition to the UK. He was flown to Madrid on Saturday to be handed to UK officials after being arrested in the Dominican Republic. In 2008 Brown, who had gone on the run to the Dominican Republic from the UK, was jailed in his absence for seven years for stealing £36m from clients after posing

…

Posted in News | Also tagged carla trimingham, crawley, internships, Jo Swinson, michael brown and simon hughes | 2 Comments

Ed Davey MP writes … There will be no public subsidy for nuclear

By Edward Davey MP | Fri 20th April 2012 - 8:47 am

Liberal Democrats were at pains in the negotiations for the coalition to insist that if nuclear power stations were to be built in the UK that there should be no public subsidy. This position was reiterated by Chris Huhne in a statement to the House of Commons on October 18^th 2010 as reported in his article on Lib Dem Voice. So I would like to allay Fiona Hall concerns expressed on Lib Dem Voice yesterday by clarifying that there has been absolutely no change in this position.

As Chris Huhne outlined in October 2010 this means that “there will …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged coalition agreement, department for energy and climate change, ed davey, fiona hall and nuclear power | 22 Comments

Chris Nicholson resigns as CentreForum chief executive, appointed Ed Davey’s new special advisor

By Stephen Tall | Mon 26th March 2012 - 8:15 am

When Chris Huhne resigned as energy and climate change secretary last month, he didn’t just create a vacancy in the cabinet — his departure also triggered some musical chairs elsewhere.

The same day Ed Davey was appointed Chris Huhne’s sucessor, Duncan Brack and Joel Kenrick departed as Chris’s special advisors. You can read Duncan’s take on his time in the job here, Liblink: Duncan Brack on how to get green policies implemented in Government.

These two vacancies have now been filled by Katie …

Posted in News | Also tagged centreforum, chris nicholson, duncan brack, edward davey, joel kenrick and katie waring | Leave a comment

In other news… Vince, Telegraph inaccuracy, Lembit, Eastleigh, Boundary Commission, site news

By Stephen Tall | Sun 11th March 2012 - 5:15 pm

Here’s a round-up of stories we haven’t had time to cover on the site this past week…

Vince Cable on that leaked letter to No. 10 (and other matters (The Guardian)

“We’re no longer arguing about fiscal policy – monetary policy’s now taking on most of the heavy lifting anyway,” he says as he notes that Labour has now accepted the need for fiscal discipline. “So the argument has shifted into a debate around how active government should be in promoting the recovery. Is it getting out of the way or is government being proactive and positive? That was the purpose

…

Posted in News | Also tagged boundary commission for england, daily telegraph, eastleigh, ed joyce, gerard vernon-jackson, lembit opik, local government boundary commission, mary reid, prateek buch, sara bedford, sayeeda warsi and vince cable | Leave a comment

This week’s council by-election results: 1 March 2012

By Helen Duffett | Fri 2nd March 2012 - 7:13 pm

Almost a clean sweep for the Liberal Democrats this week, winning five out of the six local council by-elections. There were three gains and two holds by the party, and in Castle ward, Cumbria, there was actually a swing towards the Lib Dems, although the party lost the seat to Labour.

Notably, Shamblehurst – in Chris Huhne MP’s Eastleigh constituency – was held by a wide margin, as Chris Huhne’s website reports:

The Liberal Democrats have secured an overwhelming vote of confidence from Eastleigh Borough residents in a Hedge End by-election that took place yesterday.

Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Effeny secured the

…

Posted in Council by-elections | Also tagged anne lock, hannah fraser, jake lyne, olwyn luckley and richard effeny | 9 Comments

The Independent View: The major environmental tests facing the Liberal Democrats in 2012 (Part 1)

By Joss Garman | Wed 22nd February 2012 - 1:50 pm

The Liberal Democrats have long been seen as the greenest of the biggest three political parties. Now in government, the party is facing tough decisions with huge implications both for our country’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and for wider protection of the natural world.

During his time in office Lib Dem Climate Secretary Chris Huhne won a couple of significant battles with Cabinet colleagues. Most notably, despite opposition from the Chancellor, he won the backing of David Cameron to put into law tough new carbon targets for the 2020s that were recommended by their independent advisers the Committee on …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Also tagged climate change, ed davey, environment, greenpeace, nick clegg, the independent view and wildlife | 6 Comments

Chris Huhne makes first court appearance – but what happens next?

By Nick Thornsby | Fri 17th February 2012 - 12:14 pm

Chris Huhne made his first appearance before a court yesterday, following the news earlier this month that the Crown Prosecution Service planned to bring charges against him and Vicky Pryce, his former wife, of perverting the course of justice.

Given the vague way in which matters of legal procedure are reported in the media, there now follows a bit more detail about the procedure of what will happen next and when we might expect the case to be resolved, for those not familiar with the details of the system.

The offence of perverting the course of justice is one which can only …

Posted in News | 3 Comments

Social mobility: is the Coalition doing enough to encourage it?

Stephen Tall asks: "Did Nate Silver write in vain?"

Nick Clegg: "Of course the EU has to change"

"Mad, swivel-eyed loons": a top Tory on the Tories

Tag Archives: chris huhne

The Sun story about Chris Huhne that was a total invention (and which the other papers happily copied)

A brief (recent) history of the Lib Dems’ flagship tax-cut for the low-paid

After prison

Mike Thornton MP’s maiden speech

Huhne / Pryce: I just don’t see how ‘prison works’ for anyone here

Liberal Democrat Voice team discusses…..the Huhne/Pryce sentencing

++ Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce sentenced

It’s not just the Lib Dem leadership trying to ignore the ‘secret courts’ row: the news media is too

Huhne / Pryce: this is a human drama, not a political story

Vicky Pryce found guilty

++Breaking News: Jury in Vicky Pryce trial discharged after failing to reach a verdict

Eastleigh by-election: your essential round-up of the latest campaign news (12 Feb)

5 reasons for Lib Dems to campaign in Eastleigh (just in case you needed any more)

The Lib Dems can win…

Tessa Munt and Tim Farron on Chris Huhne’s downfall

The end of Chris Huhne’s career in politics: initial reactions

++ Chris Huhne to resign as MP

++ Chris Huhne pleads guilty to perverting the course of justice

Chris Huhne to stand trial next Monday

Ed Davey MP writes… The Green Deal goes live

John Leech MP writes… Remembering the reasons for Leveson

ELDR Congress: I’m not about to craic up…

Jo Swinson, Julian Huppert & David Laws top Lib Dem members’ reshuffle promotion wish-list

In other news… Michael Brown extradited, unpaid party internships, Jo Swinson for cabinet? & other stories

Ed Davey MP writes … There will be no public subsidy for nuclear

Chris Nicholson resigns as CentreForum chief executive, appointed Ed Davey’s new special advisor

In other news… Vince, Telegraph inaccuracy, Lembit, Eastleigh, Boundary Commission, site news

This week’s council by-election results: 1 March 2012

The Independent View: The major environmental tests facing the Liberal Democrats in 2012 (Part 1)

Chris Huhne makes first court appearance – but what happens next?

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Social mobility: is the Coalition doing enough to encourage it?

Stephen Tall asks: "Did Nate Silver write in vain?"

Nick Clegg: "Of course the EU has to change"

"Mad, swivel-eyed loons": a top Tory on the Tories

Tag Archives: chris huhne

The Lib Dems can win…

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