Huhne

[Serial_Apologist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyos-M48B8U :winkeye:

:biggrin:

That sketch rings ever truer, ams :ok:

[aeolium]

he was a progressive politician, he fought the good fight for liberal and green values .... his character is far more acceptable than the greater majority of current MP's; practically none of whom are free from the taint of theft and fraud ....... and quite a few who should be inside as well ....

That may be so, calum, but as was said earlier, Huhne is phenomenally wealthy ("a millionaire several times over" according to one source) with several houses all over the place. His loss of his driving licence for 12 months or whatever would not have been a major disaster for him in the way it would have been for someone whose job depended on it - he could have afforded a chauffeur easily. I think the public reaction is partly because it is on a par with the expenses scandal or worse, in that a politician is seen to be breaking the law and then lying (and repeating a lie) to try and evade detection. As with the Aitken case, it confirms a public perception of politicians as generally dishonest and seeing themselves as above the law, not subject to the same restrictions as everyone else. And many other instances have tended to confirm this perception, e.g. various politicians like Stephen Byars hiring themselves out for sale as consultants to private companies. It creates the appearance of a rotten culture in which politicians are purely in it for what the system can provide them, in which there is always a revolving door to the next job. If benefit claimants, for instance, had committed the kind of fraud committed by a large number of MPs in the expenses scandal, they would probably have faced jail.

[amateur51]

That may be so, calum, but as was said earlier, Huhne is phenomenally wealthy ("a millionaire several times over" according to one source) with several houses all over the place. His loss of his driving licence for 12 months or whatever would not have been a major disaster for him in the way it would have been for someone whose job depended on it - he could have afforded a chauffeur easily. I think the public reaction is partly because it is on a par with the expenses scandal or worse, in that a politician is seen to be breaking the law and then lying (and repeating a lie) to try and evade detection. As with the Aitken case, it confirms a public perception of politicians as generally dishonest and seeing themselves as above the law, not subject to the same restrictions as everyone else. And many other instances have tended to confirm this perception, e.g. various politicians like Stephen Byars hiring themselves out for sale as consultants to private companies. It creates the appearance of a rotten culture in which politicians are purely in it for what the system can provide them, in which there is always a revolving door to the next job. If benefit claimants, for instance, had committed the kind of fraud committed by a large number of MPs in the expenses scandal, they would probably have faced jail.

Thanks for putting this much more clearly than I've managed so far, aeolium :ok:

Didn't Huhne's speeding offence in question coincide with his trying to get the Eastleigh nomination? If so, being driven around by chauffeur might have created an odd impression, so he decided to wing it on the points swop.

[Anna]

Didn't Huhne's speeding offence in question coincide with his trying to get the Eastleigh nomination? If so, being driven around by chauffeur might have created an odd impression, so he decided to wing it on the points swop.

:ok: Definitely. I think he was scared of being seen as yet another posh rich-boy (which, of course, is precisely what he is!!)
The Attorney General has been asked to review the sentences as being too lenient by an MP, which of course being asked he is obliged to do but my guess is that it'll stand. As aeolium says above in his excellent post, it's the constant lying that reinforces the general perception as all politicians being lying, greedy, and above the law and yah-boo sucks to the general populace.

[aeolium]

Didn't Huhne's speeding offence in question coincide with his trying to get the Eastleigh nomination? If so, being driven around by chauffeur might have created an odd impression, so he decided to wing it on the points swop.

He couldn't have risked....public transport, could he (as someone with a keen interest in environmental issues)? Perish the thought!

[french frank]

Didn't Huhne's speeding offence in question coincide with his trying to get the Eastleigh nomination?

The offence was in June 2003 and the general election was in May 2005. In the interim (2004) he had been reelected as an MEP.

[amateur51]

The offence was in June 2003 and the general election was in May 2005. In the interim (2004) he had been reelected as an MEP.

Gotcha! :ok:

[Pabmusic]

Thanks Pabs, I understood every word of that even tho your tongue was firmly in your cheek at times, I felt :biggrin:...My point about reflection stems from my watching the Channel 4 interview that Huhne gave to Garry Gibbon - he so clearly was not engaging with the impact of what he had done and why he was being sent down; he had a set line and he was sticking to it.

I shall disengage my tongue (from my cheek) now. :smiley: But you do have to keep reiterating how staff are expected to behave, and why.

I haven't seen any interviews at all, but I understand your point about Huhne's acknowledgement of his crime - or lack of it.

[french frank]

Gotcha! :ok:

Don't know quite what that meant. It doesn't appear that there was a vacancy looming in Eastleigh at the time of the offence, so he couldn't have been trying for it. If there had been he wouldn't have later stood for reelection as an MEP.

[amateur51]

Don't know quite what that meant. It doesn't appear that there was a vacancy looming in Eastleigh at the time of the offence, so he couldn't have been trying for it. If there had been he wouldn't have later stood for reelection as an MEP.

It means 'I understand what you've said' - it's Auld Englishe demotic :winkeye:

[Flosshilde]

Ah - I gave it a more 'Sunny' meaning, & you were acknowledging that frenchie had shot you out of the water :winkeye:

[John Wright]

I wrote last week:

So, after all this, how many points does Huhne have on his licence? I suppose after all this time they have expired?

(like mine have, presumably, though they are still pencilled on my paper licence. Hmmm that's a thought, I must mention to my insurers this year that those points go back to 2008, I should be due a reduction in premium, otherwise I'll be calling the meerkats, oh, I mean the bearded fellow in garters and stilettos!)

Aside: for Gawd's sake! Cop camera caught me entering the village of Shilton at 42mph. Bang goes any reduction in insurance. :steam: Gawd! I drive through Shilton every week, but this time I was clearly too busy chatting to the passenger MrsW, and eh no I won't do a Huhne.

[Mr Pee]

I wrote last week:



Aside: for Gawd's sake! Cop camera caught me entering the village of Shilton at 42mph. Bang goes any reduction in insurance. :steam: Gawd! I drive through Shilton every week, but this time I was clearly too busy chatting to the passenger MrsW, and eh no I won't do a Huhne.

If you drive through it every week then you should be even more aware of the speed limit, especially since you already have points on your licence.

No sympathy from me I'm afraid. :sadface:

[John Wright]

If you drive through it every week then you should be even more aware of the speed limit, especially since you already have points on your licence.

No sympathy from me I'm afraid. :sadface:

Yup, I have no sympathy with me :blush:

Sent in my confirmation of driver. Warwickshire do offer a course as alternative to points, but that may depend on my speed. Should find out next week.

[John Wright]

I can attend a Speed Awareness Workshop (about 1 mile from where the offence occurred!!) so licence remains points-free.

The course will be valuable to me, hopefully teach me to CONCENTRATE on where I am, and what the speed limit is, rather than what I'm thinking about or listening to in the car.