“Chris Huhne’s estranged wife ( nella foto) 'is ready to swear on oath' that he asked her to take his speeding points”
Chris Huhne’s career was hanging by a thread last night after his estranged wife agreed to testify that he asked her to take speeding points for him. A close friend said Vicky Pryce would swear in court that she was busy all day in central London when the offence was committed 40 miles away in Essex. As political support ebbed away from the Energy Secretary at Westminster, Essex Police appointed a senior detective to look into the allegations that Mr Huhne broke the law. A friend of Miss Pryce told the Mail: ‘She was working in London during the day and evening of the date the offence took place in Essex. And she’s quite prepared to stand up in court and say so if necessary.’ Senior Liberal Democrats denied that the claims had been cooked up by Mr Huhne’s estranged wife, saying MPs knew of them six years ago.
Claims: Vicky Pryce, the estranged wife of Chris Huhne, has said she will swear in court that she was busy in London on the day of his alleged speeding offence in Essex
Senior government figures distanced themselves from Mr Huhne.
David Cameron’s official spokesman initially said that the Prime Minister had ‘full confidence’ in Mr Huhne. But when Mr Cameron answered questions after a major speech on health, he refused to go so far. Asked if he had confidence, the Prime Minister simply said only: ‘Chris Huhne has denied that.’
The terse responses were an attempt to distance Mr Cameron from the fallout of a potential resignation. Aides made clear that he had no evidence to confirm or deny the veracity of the Energy Minister’s claims.
Mr Huhne made an abortive appearance denying the allegations on the BBC and maintained his innocence when summoned to a 15-minute crisis summit with Nick Clegg yesterday morning.
‘Chris denies all the allegations and Nick has full confidence in him,’ said a source close to the Deputy Prime Minister.
On the day in question, March 12, 2003, Mr Huhne was still an MEP. He could have taken one of two flights from Strasbourg in France to Stansted airport in Essex.
One landed at 9.58am and the other, which he is believed to have taken, at 10.23pm. It is not clear at what time his car was clocked exceeding a temporary 30mph limit on the M11.
Crucially that evening, Miss Pryce – then chief economic adviser and director of general economics at the Department of Trade and Industry – was finishing a meal at the London School of Economics, where she had been speaking on a panel.
This was confirmed yesterday by the LSE. A spokesman said: ‘Danny Quah, who is a professor of economics here, chaired the event and says he remembered that she was there. There was a dinner afterwards and Vicky Pryce is recorded as having attended……
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