Bursledon and Hamble MP guilty of perverting course of justice

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne, whose constituency includes Bursledon and Hamble, today pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Chris Huhne

The former cabinet minister changed his plea when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of his trial on charges that his ex-wife Vicky Pryce took speeding points for him a decade ago.

Ms Pryce has pleaded not guilty to the same charge of perverting the course of justice.

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.

Liberal Democrat MP Huhne, 58, resigned as energy and climate change secretary after he was charged last year. He remained as Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh.

However today he has said he will be standing down as the MP for Eastleigh, triggering a by-election.

Although he has yet to be sentenced legal experts have predicted that this sort of offence is invariably punished with a period of imprisonment.

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.