PaulT Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21320992 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 [quote user="PaulT"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21320992[/quote]Only because there was no choice and he hopes he will get a lower sentence. Another lying toe rag, last week he pleaded not guilty. Seems like the old pals association didn't work for once, or maybe he wasn't a mason[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 But, when he comes out of prison will there be a nice job lined up for him, running some charity or ONG abnd earning shedloads of money, probably taxpayers'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Time will tell how much money he earns after he comes out of prison. Press stories long before this incident suggest that the practice is wide spread.. It seems that over the years a disproportionate number of students have been fined for speeding in large expensive cars owned by wealthy businessmen.Fortunately most of us are not rich enough to pay someone to take the points for our offences and anyway I am sure we never speed or get fined unless the camera is faulty[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 He won't need a job when he comes out - he's already very rich.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vette Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I can't understand why Nick Clegg was shocked and saddened at Huhne admitting to his guilt.I was shocked and saddened at how long Huhne has drawn the whole affair out and at what cost to the taxpayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I am sure somebody very nice as a cell mate has been asked to make him feel at home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 [quote user="vette"]I can't understand why Nick Clegg was shocked and saddened at Huhne admitting to his guilt.I was shocked and saddened at how long Huhne has drawn the whole affair out and at what cost to the taxpayers.[/quote]Nick Clegg was no doubt shocked and saddened when he realised he had been lied to by a senior colleague as indeed most of us would hve been. However Vette you don't need to be so shocked and saddened because it looks like Chris Huhne will have to make a very large contribution to the prosecution's costs and so saving us taxpayers some of the cost.Off topic for a moment. What is it about Forums that brings out the sanctimonious in some people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 From what I've read, he's got several £millions so I'm really pleased he will have to pay up. I hadn't realised until today that this all happened before he became an MP - and really it was pretty stupid, as it was quite a minor offence in the scheme of things - he could afford a driver if he was disqualified. (it wouldn't be minor to me!) Fancy becoming an MP (and privy councillor) with that at the back of your mind, and depending on his ex-wife, who he treated shabbily - although according to ex-MP \matthew Parris on R4 this morning, all MPs are massive risk-takers, it apparently goes with the territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 [quote user="Rabbie"] Off topic for a moment. What is it about Forums that brings out the sanctimonious in some people.[/quote] Your quite right Rabbie, as I said on another Thread " it appears that everybody who posts on Anglo/French forums is perfect." Or so they think before they press the send button. [:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Only Bobo is perfect.However, it is yet again an abuse of public funds by a public figure. By the way, does he qualify for a payoff or a pension from the public purse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 [quote user="woolybanana"] Only Bobo is perfect.However, it is yet again an abuse of public funds by a public figure. By the way, does he qualify for a payoff or a pension from the public purse?[/quote]I have read in one article that, when he resigned from his shadow cabinet position, he received a sum in the region of 17 grand. Not a bad way to kiss goodbye, is it?I believe they do these things because they are so rich that they think they can buy privileges for themselves and their positions of power seem to endow them with a sense of entitlement and numb them to potential discovery and subsequent punishment.Edit: oops, sorry, talking nonsense. Forgot this lot is actually in power so not shadow cabinet but position as energy secretay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 [quote user="Rabbie"].Fortunately most of us are not rich enough to pay someone to take the points for our offences and anyway I am sure we never speed or get fined unless the camera is faulty[6][/quote]His original offense must be quite a common occurrence. In fact I wrote about our experience of a similar situation (in France) on here a few years ago.ie husband driving my car exceeded speed limit and fine sent to me. What to do? There's a part on the back of the form to say it wasn't me driving, but it would have been simpler just to pay the fine on line and forget about it.This must happen to many people.But should we expect a higher moral standard from our MPs than from the general population? And if so, why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiefluvvie Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Oh it's just like being in France isn't it? All those champagne socialists and all......This has got nothing to do with the 'petty' original offence - trading speeding points is common practice around the world - not exactly theft or murder!It's simply about a scorned woman, a son that despises his father and a man that lied on camera.And, in answer to the last question from Patf - MP's are part of the general population so - NO we shouldn't expect a higher moral standard. It would be naive to think otherwise......Cheifluvvie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Nidea Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 [quote user="Chiefluvvie"]And, in answer to the last question from Patf - MP's are part of the general population so - NO we shouldn't expect a higher moral standard. It would be naive to think otherwise...... Cheifluvvie[/quote]That's not how I see it.Perhaps I am naive to think that MP's, especially those in government positions, should be trusted not to tell bare-faced lies and not to make serious errors of judgement. It shouldn't be too much to ask, should it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 [quote user="Chiefluvvie"]Oh it's just like being in France isn't it? All those champagne socialists and all...... This has got nothing to do with the 'petty' original offence - trading speeding points is common practice around the world - not exactly theft or murder! It's simply about a scorned woman, a son that despises his father and a man that lied on camera. And, in answer to the last question from Patf - MP's are part of the general population so - NO we shouldn't expect a higher moral standard. It would be naive to think otherwise...... Cheifluvvie[/quote] I'm with Pat, I'd expect more in all sorts of ways, than this behavior. If he had been straight with his wife, or even been decent when they were separating, things may been different. And his son is probably pretty fed up with him and the way he treats people....its his lack of judgement, not the actual crime, although obviously the crime is bad enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Until very recently it was commonplace in France for people to take the points for other people who needed to keep their licenses. There was a flourishing underground market in it with quite good prices attached.http://www.lemonde.fr/vous/article/2012/07/23/les-vendeurs-de-points-de-permis-desormais-poursuivis_1737157_3238.htmlThis has only been followed up since last year.At the same time who would ever expect a French politician to resign because of lying or even being found guilty and charged (if it is were ever to be allowed to get that far) Look at the case of Alain Juppé https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Jupp%C3%A9#Criminal_convictionwho is still Mayor of Bordeaux and who was asked to try to sort out the affairs of the UMP last autumn Le Pen was accused of war CrimesCharles Pasqua has been let off six times and twice given suspended sentences00Chirac was convicted of embezzling public funds, abuse of trust and illegal conflict of interest in 2011 and given a 2 year suspended sentence Sarkozy's cases are still being heard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 MPs are our representatives and so perhaps it is not surprising if they are no better than the rest of us. However as they so often claim the moral high ground when campaigning for our votes we are led to believethey pillars of rectitude so of course we fel let down when they show they are far from perfect.The Huhne case is complicated and the final punishment could be seen as disproportonate to the original offence of speeding but the real offence was being dishonest in saying who was driving. I do not think that his ex-wife comes out of this with much credit either. I am sure that when she contacted the press looking for revenge when her marriage broke up she did not foresee that she would also be charged and could also face a prison sentence. After all that particular offence needs two people to lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 IIRC it has been said that her defense will be that she was bullied into lying. If you are going to be unfaithful, and then present your wife with a 'fait accompli' as I believe he did, then perhaps its best to be whiter than white.....Her career does not depend on honesty and public reputation in quite the way his does. In many peoples opinion his political, if not his public life is over.How many times has Chris Huhne stated his innocence on TV ? Time and time again....Rabbie, would it been better if she had kept quiet ? Goodness knows how far this dishonest man would have got in public life then, I dread to think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 On the driving licence - I think if you have lots of points on your licence and yet still risk gaining further points you must be some sort of stupid.Allowing/asking/coercing someone else to accept them for you seems not a decent thing to do although I see how a married couple might.As for the breakdown of their marriage, I think if you had been married as long as they have, you could reasonably expect to be told in a rather more gentlemanly way than the one he chose. On expecting an MP to behave well - I do. In particular if he had published on the front of his main election leaflet a wedding photo advertising the fact that he had been married for 26 years, I would expect him to be a sound family man.Am I perfect ? No. There are skeletons in my cupboard which I would not care to read about in the newspapers if I aspired to any kind of public life.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 [quote user="Russethouse"]IIRC it has been said that her defense will be that she was bullied into lying. If you are going to be unfaithful, and then present your wife with a 'fait accompli' as I believe he did, then perhaps its best to be whiter than white.....Her career does not depend on honesty and public reputation in quite the way his does. In many peoples opinion his political, if not his public life is over.How many times has Chris Huhne stated his innocence on TV ? Time and time again....Rabbie, would it been better if she had kept quiet ? Goodness knows how far this dishonest man would have got in public life then, I dread to think! [/quote]Yes that is her defence. The question is whether she is the sort of woman who would be coerced by her husband into doing something like this or whether she agreed willingly. After all she did keep quiet for 8 or 9 years. The jury will decide.In my experience people who are unfaithful often keep it a secret from their spouse until they are either found out or are forced to choose who they want to live with.His political life is definitely over. Quite rightly in my opinionI would have more respect for her revealing this if it had been for reasons of honesty rather than cheap revenge. I will not have sympathy for her if she is found guilty and given a custodial sentence. As I said earlier I am sure when she emailed her friend at The Sunday Times she did not consider the possibility that she would also be prosecuted.Unfortunately these scandals to tend to generate vast amounts of sanctimonious self-righteous condemnation in the press and elsewhere from people who may not be as clean as they woud like us to believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 It might not be very gracious of me, but if after 26 years of marriage and three children my husband had told me about an affair and had done so not out of any consideration or respect for me or our family but because the press were about to blow the story, I think I might have been pretty tempted to email my friend in the press too....She may have been complicit, but it was him who has protested his innocence and taken an MPs salary ever since it all came to light. It will be interesting to see what the Jury say and how the judge treats him / them when it comes to sentencing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkkent Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 [quote user="Russethouse"]. It will be interesting to see what the Jury say and how the judge treats him / them when it comes to sentencing[/quote]The jury will not say anything. He has already pleaded guilty. (In any case, a jury can only say "guilty" or "not guilty". It is illegal for any report to be made of any jury's discussions.) Having said that, Mr Huhn clearly comes across as someone unfitted for high office. The former Mrs Huhn is clearly no shrinking violet and I guess that her defence - of being pressurised within the marriage - will rebound against her. I have no wish to prejudge the outcome but she seems to me to be as guilty as he.They both come across as very unpleasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I've been wondering if I would have accepted penalty points for my husband. I think I might have done, but it occurs to me that he would not have asked.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 [quote user="Hoddy"]I've been wondering if I would have accepted penalty points for my husband. I think I might have done, but it occurs to me that he would not have asked.Hoddy[/quote]Quite so, Hoddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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