Huhne pleads guilty to offence brought to light by Rochdale MP

Chris Huhne

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.

His former wife, Vicky Pryce, has pleaded not guilty to the same offence.

They were charged last year in relation to the alleged offence in 2003 following the offence being brought to light by MP for Rochdale Simon Danczuk, who made a formal complaint to Essex Police.

The Lib Dem MP, 58, changed his plea on the first day of his trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Huhne, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, resigned as energy and climate change secretary after he was charged. He remains as Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh.

The charge relates to an incident in March 2003 when Huhne's car was allegedly caught by a speed camera on the motorway between Stansted Airport in Essex and London.

It is alleged that between 12 March and 21 May 2003, Ms Pryce, 60, from Clapham in south London, falsely informed police that she was the driver of the car so Huhne could avoid prosecution.

Huhne had vowed to fight the charges and last week pleaded not guilty.

But on Monday, his barrister John Kelsey-Fry QC invited the court to read the indictment to Huhne once more, even though he had already pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing.

When the allegation of perverting the course of justice was read he quietly declared that he was guilty.

Ms Pryce was also sitting in the dock and neither showed any emotion as he entered his plea.

Carina Trimingham, whom Huhne admitted having an affair with in 2010, ending his 26-year marriage to Ms Pryce, was in the public gallery as he appeared in court.

Simon Danczuk, MP for Rochdale said: "None of us are above the law, including ministers, but I do have some sympathy for Chris Huhne in that I wouldn't have wished his political career to be ruined in this way." 

MEP Chris Davies served alongside Chris Huhne for seven years in the European Parliament. He said: "I am glad to live in a country where even those in high positions can be brought down by failing to respect the law.

"What was at the time a relatively minor misdemeanour has become a genuine Greek tragedy, and he has no-one to blame but himself.

"But I have great admiration for Chris Huhne's political ability and today's announcement is likely to deprive us of that. I am sorry for him personally, and sorry also at the loss for our country."