Re: Huhne was lying : Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:29 pm  

He will probably end up the next LibDem leader with his deputy being that other forgetfull MP David Expenses Laws.

Re: Huhne was lying : Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:53 pm  

Him wrote:

It just seems an incredibly stupid thing to do. To lie just to avoid a few points and a fine.
In the grand scheme of politicians lying though, it's pretty low down the list

Hardly. Persistently lying over and over and only admitting the truth when he had exhausted all potential legal avenues to have his case dismissed.

He lied to avoid a driving ban, as he was already on 9 points.

If he was Tory he would be labelled the reincarnation of Hitler.

Re: Huhne was lying : Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:36 pm  

The thing is - twelve points isn't an automatic ban - its eye-watering insurance premium time, but I've employed someone in the past who ended up with 14 points at one stage and still retained his licence.

Although as I mentioned earlier, the defence of "I'll lose my job if I lose my licence" won't wash with an MP who gets paid to commute via whatever means he chooses.

Re: Huhne was lying : Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:37 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

If he was Tory he would be labelled the reincarnation of Hitler.

That's simply because most of them are

Re: Huhne was lying : Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:22 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

Hardly. Persistently lying over and over and only admitting the truth when he had exhausted all potential legal avenues to have his case dismissed.

He lied to avoid a driving ban, as he was already on 9 points.

If he was Tory he would be labelled the reincarnation of Hitler.

This is the key thing. Its why Lance Armstrong has fallen so much too. The initial crime is one thing but when a public figure stands in front of the cameras and assures people he is innocent, and then later is forced to come out and admit he was guilty and lied all along, it is his personal credibility that has been shot to pieces.

What these public figures really mean by "I am innocent" is, "my lawyers have advised me that I can probably get away with this". It is sickening.

Re: Huhne was lying : Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:01 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

This is the key thing. Its why Lance Armstrong has fallen so much too. The initial crime is one thing but when a public figure stands in front of the cameras and assures people he is innocent, and then later is forced to come out and admit he was guilty and lied all along, it is his personal credibility that has been shot to pieces.

What these public figures really mean by "I am innocent" is, "my lawyers have advised me that I can probably get away with this". It is sickening.

Indeed.
I will bet you any money that he thought 'I'm an MP and they won't have the stones to actually go through with it.............So I'll shout about how unfair it is and plead my innocence and they will back down'
When it became apparent to him that they in fact were not going to back down when he entered court he had a quick rethink and coughed to it.

Re: Huhne was lying : Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:50 am  

Anakin Skywalker wrote:

Indeed.
I will bet you any money that he thought 'I'm an MP and they won't have the stones to actually go through with it.............So I'll shout about how unfair it is and plead my innocence and they will back down'
When it became apparent to him that they in fact were not going to back down when he entered court he had a quick rethink and coughed to it.

If he'd have admitted it, he would have had a while out of the limelight then staged a comeback later on. Peter Mandleson did this multiple times, when he got busted for something he just copped it, lay low for a bit and then re-emerged.

Huhne has shot his career to pieces. He would have been a potential leader of the Lib Dems otherwise.

Re: Huhne was lying : Tue Feb 05, 2013 2:06 am  

rover49 wrote:

Interesting that his 'ex' has pleaded not guilty. If she is found not guilty what would happen to him, would they do him for perjury for saying he was guilty when he wasn't

Her 'defence' is "marital coercion". It's a new one on me, but I understand what she is getting at.

Re: Huhne was lying : Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:58 am  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

Her 'defence' is "marital coercion". It's a new one on me, but I understand what she is getting at.

Perhaps she's simply confusing marital coercion and marital coition?

[Durham Giant]

Re: Huhne was lying : Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:03 am  

What is interesting is the fact that there are none so so bitter as a woman scorned.

This came out after he spit with his wife after having an afaair.

Not only was she so angry she destroyed his political life and future income ( and possibly hers as she would have been entitled to some maintenance etc off him) but she risked being convicted herself.

If you read the emails between Huhne and his son you can see the enourmous damage that it has done to their relationship.
It is a personal tragedy all around and when you look back at it his wife was motivated by revenge which has damaged a lot of people ( it is worth bearing in mind that he could have been a genuine challenger to Clegg) that has now gone and does not leave many alternatives to clegg the blue.