Huhne to face charges?

Guido Fawkes has just tweeted about Chris Huhne, our Energy and Climate Change Secretary:

+ + + Vicky Pryce: “”I understand there will be charges” + + +: BBC correspondent tweeting unconfirmed rumour: V...

Toast?

Update on Feb 3, 2012 by Bishop Hill

Charges it is.

A short pause for celebration, followed, no doubt, by the (inevitable) appointment of someone just as bad.

Update on Feb 3, 2012 by Bishop Hill

George Monbiot tweets

I'm sad to see #ChrisHuhne go. He's been one of the few voices of (relative) sanity in the Coalition.

Comments

[Old Goat]

We hope so, but in his absence another "on-message" loon will emerge...

[Frederick Bloggsworth]

In years to come people will ask each other where they were when they found out that Chris Huhne was going to be charged. One of those "moments" when history changed.

[A Lovell]

Just watching on sky news. YES!!!!!!

[AngusPangus]

Politician responsible for climate change policy in "charged with being a lying b@astard" shocker.....

[David Holland]

Could be CC Minister no. 3 if found guilty. Is it a poisoned challis?

[David Chappell]

Charged he may be but there's many a slip between dock and clink. What's the betting he'll get off on a technicality?

[Phillip Bratby]

I thought nobody could be worse than Miliband, till Huhne came along. It can't get any worse surely.

[TerryS]

From the CPS website:

"This statement is made by the Crown Prosecution Service in the interests of transparency and accountability to explain the decisions reached in the cases of Mr Christopher Huhne and Ms Vasiliki Pryce and to explain the time taken in arriving at these decisions.

"A criminal complaint was made to Essex Police in May 2011, alleging that Ms Pryce had accepted responsibility for a speeding offence committed by Mr Huhne in 2003. That complaint was investigated by Essex Police and a file was passed to the CPS in late July 2011. The CPS advised that further investigations should be made, including obtaining certain material from a national newspaper. Those further investigations were made and, in October 2011, an order was made for the newspaper to produce material to the police. The newspaper appealed that order, as it was entitled to do, but subsequently consented to producing the material in question just before the appeal was due to be heard, on 20 January this year.

"All the available evidence, including the new material, has now been carefully considered by the CPS and we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce for perverting the course of justice.

"The essence of the charges is that between March and May 2003, Mr Huhne, having allegedly committed a speeding offence, falsely informed the investigating authorities that Ms Pryce had been the driver of the vehicle in question, and she falsely accepted that she was the driver.

"Accordingly, summonses against both Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce have been obtained from Westminster Magistrates’ Court and those summonses will now be served on them. They are due to appear in court on 16 February this year.

"The decision in this case was taken by Mr Rene Barclay, a senior and very experienced prosecutor, in consultation with Sue Hemming, the Head of Special Crime Division and in consultation with me as DPP.

"Can I remind all concerned that Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce now stand charged with criminal offences and that they each have a right to a fair trial. It is very important that nothing is said, or reported, which could prejudice their trial."

[Foxgoose]

It won't be hard for the coalition to find another "green opportunist" - but I doubt if they'll find one with Huhne's mastery of the political "black arts".

So - I think the outcome might be positive.

[Phillip Bratby]

A climate change minister called Huhne
Was known as a bit of a loon
But his speed was too high
And his wife wasn't shy
Now we all hope and pray he'll go doon.

[Paul Boyce]

David Chappel at 1:12 AM:

What's the betting he'll get off on a technicality?

That's as maybe.

But he's damaged goods now - surely he'll have no choice but to resign. And if various comments by Andrew Neil are true, it would appear he has "very few" friends at Westminster, so there will be no way back for him.

[UNdeniable]

My Friday evening beer will taste even better tonight!

[pesadia]

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

[Bruce]

A federal court judge here in Oz tried the same trick...two years behind bars. I do not know of the guilt or innocence of Mr Huhne and his wife, but the powers-that-be do not take kindly to such things.

[Alan the Brit]

With those comments it has been definitively confirmed, Monbiot is likewise, completely barking!

UK in fourth cold winter, fourth cold winter globally, with cold records being broken left, right, & centre, people dying from the extreme cold! What more evidence does someone need to reconsider the Power of the Sun, on Earth's climate? The quiet Sun being the elephant in the room, just start looking with an "open" mind, just for a change, hey! It possess 99.9% of the mass of the solar system, & these experts claim that a 0.1% change inTSI (not necessarily the b all or end all) of a massive fusion reactor 332900 times the mass of the Earth, cannot possibly have a significant effect on climate, yet at the same time admitting that it did in the past to explain previous climate shifts! Barking too if you ask me, but then I am biased - like them! Q: Just how many people have to die from the cold before a change of thought occurs? Is it the 6.5 billion to reduce the global population down to the malthusian 500 million they have calculated is the desired global population? The UN & the Club of Rome, Greenpeace, FoE, WWF, et al beat Hitler & Stalin into a cocked hat by comparison! Will we be slaughtered by renewable energy or good old fashioned shale gas? Hitler + Salin = c 30million, UN c 113 million (AIDS, DDT, Rawanda)

[Maurizio Morabito]

It is fitting that somebody who tried to push the accelerator on foolish mitigation policies, would find himself in trouble due to a speeding ticket.

[Latimer Alder]

Huhne charged and Monbiot upset!

Is it possible for life to get any sweeter?

[Paul Boyce]

To quote the Telegraph from a few minutes ago:

Government sources said that the decision to charge Mr Huhne spells the end of his Cabinet career.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg are said to be in agreement that Mr Huhne will be now be removed from post, despite him insisting he will fight to prove his innocence.

[Chris]

Whilst I'm happy to see the back of Huhne, nothing will change in terms of policy until this government changes, and even then we will have to convince politicians that these policies are unsupported.

[Cumbrian Lad]

As Huhne leaves, the neta page reports temperatures dropping well below zero, and the precious wind turbine fleet producing 363MW of the 4000MW installed. Hopefully the next incumbent will actually listen to the engineers rather than the vested interests.

[Don Keiller]

Oh, yes, yeS, yES, YES!!!

This has really made my day.

What is it about Climate Change that attacts these political opportunists, nutters and crooks?
The fact that it is a scam?

[Retired Dave]

Huhne to face charges - well you have all said it already.

O/T but I remember a listing in comments a while back of the functions of windmills, that used grid power, not that generated by the blades - I can't place it now and would like to make use of it - in fact much of the data surrounding same. Was it you Phillip Bratby?

[Lord Beaverbrook]

If only Lord Lawson could be brought back as an intermediary until a cabinet reshuffle.

[c777]

It's the whole EU energy policy that is insane.
Huhne and his like merely roll it out.
So his replacement will more than likely carry on were he left off.
The only continent on the planet hell bent on destroying their economies.
It's beginning to look like they have ,maybe we are approaching year 0 for Europe due to the naivety and vested interests of possibly the worst governance Europe has ever endured.
The corrupt inept and incompetent EU.

[Coldish]

Re Don Keiller 10.47am. In law Huhne is not yet a crook. He's been charged with an offence. One of the few good things about English law is the assumption of innocence until a guilty verdict is pronouced by a court. (Not always observed in Scottish law tho!) I think we should leave it at that.

[Latimer Alder]

National power demand : 53,140 MW
Wind 'contribution' : 366 MW =0.68%

Even the windmills have stopped with the enormity of the news that their prime supporter is having his a**e very publicly kicked, his political career destroyed and his 'policies' in tatters (I hope)

It's a Happy Day!

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

[TerryS]

Chris Hulme just announced he is resigning as energy secretary.

[Paul in Sweden]

So Huhne is gone.

Who picks up the ball on a possible appeal to the UK PV subsidy reduction ruling?

Devil you know and all that - I will give a reserved smile for now.

[Green Sand]

Eventually Huhne will be remembered for the following:-

"an unholy alliance of short-termists, armchair engineers, climate sceptics and vested interests who are selling the UK economy short".

Which ranks alongside:-

"I thought her unsinkable and I based my opinion on the best expert advice."

-Phillip Franklin, White Star Line Vice President

[Shevva]

The Daily Wail has him quit as Energy Minister :-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095886/Chris-Huhne-resigns-Energy-Minister-charged-making-ex-wife-speeding-points.html

[Hengist McStone]

Favourite tweet on this : Just hearing Chris Huhne will be charged, but he's asking Danny Alexander to resign on his behalf.

[AngusPangus]

Quelle surprise; the BBC tries to put some distance between Huhne and climate policy to, presumably, limit damage to the climate "brand".

Look at this report:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16866127

1. Huhne is described as "energy secretary" instead of "energy and climate change secretary"
2. His responsibility for climate change policy is mentioned nowhere in the piece.
3. According to the BBC (towards end of piece) he is "in charge of issues such as energy market regulation and nuclear policy." Really? That's it? Nothing to do with saving the planet from global warming-change disruptionfication?
4. The only place that the words "climate change" appear are in the direct quote from Huhne himself where he (unlike the BBC) manages to describe his job title correctly.

[not banned yet]

c777 - tend to agree.

Hengist - love it! :-)

[Green Sand]

Nice one Hengist!

[Peter Stroud]

Is Montiot really the best person to judge who is sane and who isn't?

[Breath of Fresh Air]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100134689/huhne-youd-need-a-heart-of-stone-not-to-laugh/

Ha Ha

See no heart of stone here LOL

[Athelstan.]

George Monbiot tweets

I'm sad to see #ChrisHuhne go. He's been one of the few voices of (relative) sanity in the Coalition

That comment, tell us all we need to know about the writer himself.

[Rick Bradford]

Dellers was waiting for this...

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100134689/huhne-youd-need-a-heart-of-stone-not-to-laugh/

[matthu]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100134689/huhne-youd-need-a-heart-of-stone-not-to-laugh/

James Delingpole has a typically sympathetic view.

[Dreadnought]

It seems Ed Davey is favourite to replace Huhne. They don't come much greener.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5898272900052623700

[meltemian]

I see comments are closed on Delingpole's Blog - apparently 13 got through before they realised it probably wasn't a good idea to allow them!

[jazznick]

Breath of Fresh Air

Notably the Delingpole article got to 13 comments (now unavailable to view) before comments were shut down completely.

Perhaps some less eloquent turns of phrase had been used therein ?

[Don Keiller]

Coldfish.

What would you call a man whose obsessive drive to plaster the country with windmills has resulted in the number of people in "fuel poverty" doubling?
These insane policies have undoubtedly led to people dying from hypothermia.

"Crook" is an understatement.

[Phillip Bratby]

Retired Dave Feb 3, 2012 at 10:50 AM

It was probably I. If you email the Bish he can forward your request to me and I will send you a copy of evidence I have given at wind farm public inquiries.

[jazznick]

Dreadnaught

Hear is Ed Davey's views on The Met Office and data sharing. This was last November when his
Ministerial supervision was at 'arm's length'.

http://www.edwarddavey.co.uk/web/?q=node/473

If he gets the job it will be interesting to see how keen on data sharing he will be allowed to remain.

[oldtimer]

I suggest you print Huhne`s resignation letter and Cameron`s reply before getting too excited. Cameron remains fully signed up to the green agenda.

[Alan Bates]

Further to Feb 3, 2012 at 11:52 AM | Phillip Bratby

Phillip & Your Grace

Would it be appropriate to give the info broader circulation by putting it on this blog (or a URL where it is stored)? I suspect others would be interested beyond Retired Dave.

[Mike Jackson]

Hengist
You've got a sense of humour! Where have you been hiding it all these months?
In the deep ocean, perhaps, along with Trenberth's missing heat?

[Richard Drake]

Beaverbrook:

If only Lord Lawson could be brought back as an intermediary until a cabinet reshuffle.

Lawson's influence on Steve Hilton seems the key thing, with Osborne listening to both more than he thinks wise to let on, if my reading is right. Compared to two men who with Cameron are called the most influential in government, Ed Davey, arriving with far less clout than Huhne has accumulated, is probably not our main concern. That would be the entrenched views of the senior civil servants in DECC - and the relationships they've developed with new energy providers totally dependent on public subsidy. But Huhne's departure has to be good.

[Maurizio Morabito]

Mike - my impression is that Hengist IS Trenberth's missing heat... 8-)