Huhne interviewed again by police

22 July 2011 Last updated at 14:48 GMT Mr Huhne has denied the allegations about a speeding offence in 2003 Chris Huhne and estranged wife Vicky Pryce have been interviewed for a second time at police stations in Essex over speeding offence allegations.

Essex Police say a file will be prepared and submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, paving the way for a possible prosecution.

Officers are investigating claims Mr Huhne had asked Ms Pryce to accept penalty points on his behalf.

The Lib Dem energy secretary says the allegations are "simply incorrect".

The pair were interviewed by police last month over the claims he persuaded her to accept a three-point penalty on his behalf in March 2003 so he could avoid a driving ban.

Both Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy, the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, have rejected calls for Mr Huhne to resign.

Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce were questioned after officers obtained a court order to take possession of a tape recording in which the ex-couple apparently discuss the case.

Last month, The Sunday Times reported it had been ordered by a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court to hand the tape - features a conversation between Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce - to Essex Police.

The paper said it was considering an appeal.

Images of Ms Pryce's driving licence have emerged indicating she received points for an offence in the Essex area on the date in question.

But she is thought to have told police she was at an event in London at the time and it was Mr Huhne who was at the wheel.

View the original article here

Huhne urges energy supply changes

12 June 2011 Last updated at 04:45 GMT Scottish Power's rise in prices could be followed by other major suppliers Consumers should vote with their feet and switch to a different supplier if their power company raises its charges, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has said.

In an interview with the Observer, Mr Huhne said people did not have to take price increases "lying down".

He urged people to hit firms "where it hurts" by finding a cheaper supplier.

Scottish Power has this week announced big rises in gas and electricity prices and there are fears the other five major suppliers will follow suit.

Mr Huhne said: "Consumers don't have to take price increases lying down. If an energy company hits you with a price increase, you can hit them back where it hurts - by shopping around and voting with your feet."

Mr Huhne is expected to announce new measures this week to make it easier for smaller companies to compete in the energy market.

He said: "Right now, only one in five people switch suppliers. I want to see more switching, more competition and more companies in the market.

"The big six only have a few minnows snapping at them, who are kept artificially small. By scrapping red tape for small players they can become serious challengers and help keep bills down."

'Deep concern'

On Tuesday Scottish Power revealed price increases of 19% for gas and 10% for electricity from 1 August, affecting 2.4 million households in the UK.

The company blamed the rises on a sharp rise in the wholesale cost of gas.

Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney has called for talks with the supplier over the move.

He said: "I am deeply concerned at the scale of Scottish Power's price increases and I am seeking an urgent meeting to hear why they think increases of this scale are justified.

"Any fuel price rises have an impact - yet these increases will leave many households, in particular vulnerable consumers, in real, real difficulty."

A spokesman for Scottish Power said the company always co-operated with parliamentary requests and it looked forward to the meeting with Mr Swinney.

View the original article here

Huhne election complaint rejected

27 May 2011 Last updated at 17:06 GMT Chris Huhne is under pressure over claims about a speeding offence in 2003 The elections watchdog has rejected a complaint made about Energy Secretary Chris Huhne's election spending.

Mr Huhne was accused by two former Lib Dem councillors in his Eastleigh constituency of having made a "false declaration" - a claim he denied.

But the Electoral Commission replied saying no "specific evidence" had been provided about his election spending.

Police are investigating separate claims that Mr Huhne tried to evade a speeding punishment, which he denies.

The energy secretary has been under pressure since his ex-wife suggested someone close to him took licence points for him after a speeding offence committed on the M11 motorway in 2003.

Recording

Separately, the Electoral Commission has been looking into two complaints about his election expenditure and announced on Friday one had been dismissed.

Under rules governing spending by parties on election campaigns, the limit for Mr Huhne's constituency at the 2010 general election was ?39,973 - he declared ?29,519.

Continue reading the main story

The discussions at the meeting did not appear to have related solely to spending on Mr Huhne's campaign and did not indicate any specific overs pending in respect of his return”

End Quote Electoral Commission investigator The complaint to the Electoral Commission was based on a recording of a local party meeting where treasurer Anne Winstanley was heard saying that the elections "have cost more than we declared".

But the Commission said after considering the allegation "carefully, in line with our assessment procedure" it would not be taking further action, although it made it clear that it would consider further evidence if it was provided.

In a letter to Ms Winstanley, the investigator said: "The reason for my decision is that the allegation did not provide any specific evidence that Mr Huhne's campaign expenditure was under-reported.

"The discussions at the meeting did not appear to have related solely to spending on Mr Huhne's campaign and did not indicate any specific overspending in respect of his return".

'Thoroughly checked'

Aides had said the sums referred to in the meeting covered all campaigning in the constituency and not just Mr Huhne's individual campaign expenses.

Ms Winstanley had previously issued a statement in which she said the general election expenses "were as declared to the Electoral Commission".

The complaint had been made by former Lib Dem mayor Glynn Davies-Dear, now an independent councillor on Eastleigh borough council, and former Lib Dem councillor Andy Moore. Both men quit the party in January in protest at the coalition government's policies.

The two men said they would challenge the watchdog's ruling as they were dissatisfied with how it had conducted the investigation.

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said they had complained they had not been asked to submit the tape recording concerned.

However, Mr Huhne said he was "pleased" with Friday's ruling and that the matter had been dealt with "quickly and thoroughly".

"I am confident that the returns were completed properly in accordance with the law," he said.

The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has also lodged a complaint with the Electoral Commission about Mr Huhne's expenditure on election leaflets and his election website, which is still being looked into.

The watchdog is expected to decide whether to formally investigate the matter next week.

View the original article here

Points claim 'incorrect' - Huhne

16 May 2011 Last updated at 12:00 GMT Chris Huhne MP: "These allegations are simply incorrect"

Lib Dem minister Chris Huhne has said allegations he asked someone else to take his penalty points for a 2003 speeding offence are "simply incorrect".

Downing Street said the prime minister had "full confidence" in Mr Huhne after it emerged police were investigating whether an offence took place.

The findings will decide whether a formal inquiry is launched.

The energy secretary said he welcomed the police investigation.

He said the allegations had been "made before and been shown to be untrue".

"I very much welcome the referral to the police as it will draw a line under the matter," he told BBC News.

"I don't want to say any more than that, I think the police can get to the bottom of this."

'In the past'

A senior Lib Dem source told the BBC that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg had met Mr Huhne on Monday to discuss the weekend's allegations, which Mr Huhne denied, and that he retained the Lib Dem leader's full confidence.

Continue reading the main story

Tony Blair remained prime minister while he was investigated, I imagine Chris Huhne can just about cope with being energy secretary”

End Quote Tim Farron Lib Dem president Asked if Mr Huhne could stay in the Cabinet if the police do formally investigate him, a Downing Street spokesman said: "It has happened in the past."

Mr Cameron was asked if he had confidence in Mr Huhne at a press conference on the government's planned NHS shake-up. He said Mr Huhne had denied the allegations.

Liberal Democrat party president Tim Farron told the BBC's Daily Politics show that he did not think Mr Huhne would have to stand down from the cabinet if there was a full police investigation into the allegations.

He said: "If there's an investigation, there's an investigation. But he denies it. Tony Blair remained prime minister while he was investigated, I imagine Chris Huhne can just about cope with being energy secretary."

'Action where necessary'

Det Supt Wills was charged with looking into the allegations after Labour MP Simon Danczuk lodged a formal complaint with police against Mr Huhne after claims surfaced in newspaper stories following an interview with his estranged wife Vicky Pryce.

Essex Police said: "We are aware of allegations around a speeding offence which is believed to have occurred in 2003. A senior detective from the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate has been appointed to establish if this offence took place and the allegations around it.

"We take allegations such as this one extremely seriously and will take action where necessary."

Mr Huhne, MP for Eastleigh, is Energy and Climate Change Secretary in the coalition government - and was narrowly beaten to the Lib Dem leadership by Nick Clegg in 2007.

He has been in the spotlight recently for his criticism of the Conservatives over their behaviour during the recent campaign over changing the UK voting system - which saw the two government parties on opposing sides of the argument.

He confirmed last year he was splitting from his wife of 25 years, economist Vicky Pryce, and was in a relationship with another woman.

His office has denied the allegation about a speeding offence dating back to 2003, when he was an MEP, saying it had been made before and been shown to be untrue.

View the original article here