Nick Clegg ‘shocked and saddened’ over Huhne guilty plea

By Lauren Grice

Nick Clegg has revealed he is “shocked and saddened” after Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Huhne, who resigned as energy secretary after being charged last year, has now stepped down as representative for Eastleigh in Hampshire.

Clegg claimed his colleague had done the right thing by leaving his position, branding the crime “an extremely serious matter”.

Speaking outside of court after entering his guilty plea, Huhne revealed the reasoning behind the decision.

“Having taken responsibility for something that happened ten years ago, the only proper course of action for me is to resign my Eastleigh seat in Parliament, which I will do shortly,” he said.

The 58-year-old had previously denied allegations that he perverted the course of justice by facilitating his ex-wife in taking speeding points on his behalf ten years ago.

However, during his first day on trial at Southwark Crown Court, Huhne changed his plea to guilty and could face jail as a result of the offence.

The charges pertain to an incident that took place in 2003, in which Huhne’s car was allegedly photographed by a speed camera on a motorway near London.

Huhne’s ex-wife Vicky Pryce will also face trial later this week and has been granted unconditional bail in the meantime.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Login

    Register | Lost your password?