Chris Huhne CPS decision as-it-happened
Catch up on every twist and turn of a dramatic morning in politics with our live blog.
By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt
08:55 – Morning. It's the day Chris Huhne finds out his political fate. It's hard to imagine how the energy secretary feels at this moment. In an hour's time he'll either be safe and with a considerable bit of swagger in his walk. Or he'll have lost his job, his career, and even his family. It was last May that his estanged wife alleged Huhne "pressurised people to take his driving licence penalty points" for him, thereby perverting the course of justice. In June, a judge allowed the police to take a recording from the Sunday Times in which Huhne allegedly discussed the case with his wife, but it wasn't until October that Chelmsford crown court ordered the newspaper to hand over what were reported to be transcripts of emails between them. It soon transpired it was the wife, Vicky Pryce, who was alleged to have taken the points.
09:05 – We're hearing that Chris Huhne has just been informed of the decision, by Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions. the prime minister will be told shortly.
09:07 – There's alot of concentration on what the televised press conference means. The CPS doesn't usually do it that way, especially not with their boss in front of the cameras. Some say it suggests he's in trouble, although it can't be that simple. It would be prejudicial, for a start, to began a tradition of major press events for announcements of charges.
09:08 – That's just the start of the assessments around politicians' behaviour this morning. Journos are camped outside a Lib Dem get together in Eastbourne, predicting when Nick Clegg will leave if he hears it's bad news. Anyone who remembers everyone getting it badly wrong during the announcement of results for the Labour leadership will know why it's best to ignore that sort of thing. The precise time Clegg leaves a hotel doesn't really mean anything.
09:11 – Politicos share many qualities with teenagers, the most obvious of which is their spectacular ability to gossip. They're currently obsessing over who goes where in the re-shuffle that would be triggered if Huhne has to go. The only certain thing is that Huhne would step down to fight the charges (he denies them totally). Cameron generally doesn't like moving people around the Cabinet table too often, so it would probably be restricted to a mini-reshuffle. And he would have to keep the same Lib Dem quota at the top of government. One of the rumours doing the rounds is that Cameron would use it to finally rid himself of Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, whose NHS reforms are quickly becoming a textbook example of how not to do NHS reform.
09:15 – Today's announcement also marks a distinct left-right moment on British politics. Personally I've never found Huhne inspiring enough for either hatred or love, but many others do. Right-wingers have been desperate to get rid of him, marshalled predominantly by the Guido Fawks blog. Lefties are usually much more sympathetic and several of them are telling the online world how desperate they are for him to get off – not least because it would make right-wing bloggers eat humble pie.
09:19 – Speaking of Guido Fawkes, he thinks lucks on his side, because Huhne hasn't leaked any news yet. He tweeted this: "Would it be tempting fate too much to buy a bottle of champagne? Huhne has known for 17 minutes and he hasn't leaked the 'good news'."Huhne has form on this. He once accidentally sent a tweet instead of a direct message reading: "From someone else fine but I do not want my fingerprints on the story. C." That was a particularly marvellous day, actually. Very Thick Of It.
09:29 – Just half an hour to go. More speculation on a potential Lib Dem Cabinet reshuffle. Most of them centre of Ed Davey, the deep voiced, close-your-eyes-and-he's-a-Tory, Lib Demer who'd probably get inserted into the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). That would spare up a bit of space for David Laws, whose expenses were acceptable because he is gay, to be reintroduced to government – probably as an adviser to Clegg. That would allow him to come back in in a largely behind-the-scenes role, without too much fuss.
09:36 – Rumour! Ally Chidzoy just tweeted: "Vicky Pryce just told me 'I understand there will be charges' #huhne CANNOT CONFIRM"
09:38 – OK, we're getting dribs and drabs from all over the place now, all saying he will be charged. Totally unconfirmed.
09:40 – The entirety of the British political class, from MPs to journos, is glued to Twitter and the 24-hour news channels. It's one of those days.
09:44 – More. Simon Jack, business correspondent on the BBC's Today programme, just tweeted that Huhne will be charged. It's not looking good for the energy secretary. There's utter radio silence from Huhne when journos try to call him.
09:48 – Complication! A Sky journo just said that he's spoken to Pryce and she says the line about him being charged didn't come from here. Ok, this is actually getting pretty exciting now.
09:49 – More speculation: Could Huhne be the first victim of the recall law, allowing constituents to have their MP fired? It's possible, although my hunch is the public would be fairly sympathetic towards a speeding-based crime – even if the actual charge is the much more serious 'conspiracy to pervert the cause of justice'. This is more of a Westminster bubble thing.
09:51 – Sky are now reporting that the CPS will bring charges. Radio silence from the Lib Dems.
09:54 – The only song being sung is the one where Huhne gets charged. No-one is saying anything else.
09:54 – The BBC is also reporting he will be charged. There'll be much egg on Fleet Street faces if he gets off now.
09:57 – Once the announcement comes in, we'll stick around bringing you as much of the reaction as possible and even – without getting too excited – reshuffle details if they come out today. I'd predict that the sequence of events will be very quick. If the CPS statement goes as we think it will, it should be followed by a Huhne resignation shortly. Why wait?
10:00 – Literally every report coming in now is saying the same thing – and they're starting to come in from all over the place. There's a bit too much glee, especially among Tories and right-wing bloggers, for the whole thing to be palatable. That's par for the course, obviously. The speculation about a reshuffle is now on making it wider and bigger. I'd be much more cautious. Cameron isn't one for big reshuffles, as I mentioned earler. Also, why get rid of Lansley when the NHS reform bill is coming to the end of its journey? He'd have done it earlier, surely. Of course, there's Ken Clarke, but that's unlikely too. There's no noise for it right now and the man's widely liked in the country.
10:03 – Starmer has just walked in. Here we go.
10:04 – Starmer is running through the sequence of events – when the complaint was made to Essex police, what the complaint was, and the CPS response. He runs over the battle with the Sunday Times to obtain "material".
10:05 – "All the available evidence including the new material has now been carefully considered by the CPS and we have concluded there is enough evidence to bring charges against Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce."
10:06 – They will appear in court on February 16th.
10:07 – Starmer reminds the press not to commit contempt of court by reporting things which could prejudice their trial. And the statement ends.
10:08 – Just to confirm, the charge is perverting the course of justice. It's a serious charge and one that could lead to a jail sentence.
10:09 – It's a remarkable story and one, at heart, of jilted love. If Huhne had not left his wife to live with another woman, it is highly unlikely he would be in this position. And neither, for that matter, would she.
10:11 – I'm baffled, frankly, as to why that statement needed to be made to camera. A press release would sufficice. I presume it's an effort to to boost the CPS profile, which, given the general quality of their judgement, is not something one would advise.
10:16 – Lembit Opik has now been interviewed by Sky News and BBC News. This must be the highlight of his career. Anyway – the political ramifications of what's going on here for the Lib Dems are substantial. Huhne was the most robust Lib Dem voice at the Cabinet table. He was eager and happy to attack the Tories during and after the AV referendum. He is tough in negotiations. As a personality, he is serene and eloquent even when under pressure. He is not generally loved by his fellow Lib Dems, least of all Clegg. Remember: he, and a few others, still believe he is the rightful leader of the Lib Dems, after questions were raised about the postal ballot when he ran against Clegg.
10:21 – Here's the CPS statement in full.
10:35 – Here's our news story on the CPS announcement.
10:36 – We're expecting a statement from Chris Huhne shortly.
10:38 – Norman Lamb, currently an adviser to Clegg, is also being whispered about. He could be in for a job today. Some believe Vince Cable could be moved over to Huhne's department. He's expressed interest in it before and let's face it, the man could hardly look more miserable where he is.
10:40 – This just in from the editor of The Liberal magazine, Benjamin Ramm. It's not Lib Dem affiliated, but it's widely read in those circles. Here's his appraisal: "Chris Huhne will fight for his reputation and to restore his role as a frontline politician. He is savvy and highly intelligent, capable of corralling support among the party’s grassroots, and potentially destabilising the leadership (see: ‘Calamity Clegg’ [the moniker the Huhne camp attached to his opponenet during the leadership election]). With Simon Hughes co-opted by the Cabinet – despite not being a minister – and left-leaning Tim Farron bound to loyalty by his role as party president, Huhne may yet become a figurehead for the dissenting grassroots."
10:44 – Clegg just left the Eastbourne hotel to come to London. Nothing to say to the press. I think the idea is it is right Huhne speaks first. But the timetable is likely to be that Clegg will make an announcement when he gets to London, by which time Huhne will have made a statement. The current rumours are that Davey gets Huhne's job, while Lamb gets Davey's job.
10:49 – Huhne just emerged to speak to the press. He was cool as ever, I have to say – very controlled, very unemotional. He called the CPS decision "deeply regretable". He then added: "I'm innocent of these charges and I intend to fight them in the courts and I'm confidence a jury will agree. I am standing down and resigning as energy and climate change secretary. I will of course continue to serve my constituents in Eastleigh."
11:18 – A few moments ago England captain John Terry was stripped of the captain's armband ahead of his court case on allegations of racism. Not the kind of thing politics.co.uk would usually report on – except that the similarities with Huhne are startling. Within minutes of each other, two men have to lose their position despite still being presumed innocent.
11:21 – We've just got a copy of the letters between Huhne and the prime minister. Huhne wrote: "I intend to mount a robust defence against the charges brough against me and I have decided it would be distracting both to that and my official duties if I were to continue in office. it has been an honour both to negotiate and serve in the first coalition government of modern times."
11:24 – And from the prime minister to Huhne: "You have made a very significant contribution to the government, of which you can be justly proud. You were a member of the team which negotiated the formation of the coalition government between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats in those crucial days after the general election, with our shared commitment to come together as two distinct political parties and govern in the national interest. Like the deputy prime minister, I am sorry to see you leave the Government under these circumstances and wish you well for the future."
11:27 – The latest odds from the bookies. Paddy Power are offering 5/1 that Huhne will be back in Cabinet before the general election in 2015. They've made Welsh secretary Cheryl Gillan favourite in the ‘next Cabinet minister to leave market’ at 3/1. William Hill have Huhne on 3/1 to return to Cabinet.
11:29 – Environment campaigners are unimpressed with today's events. They viewed Huhne as their guy around the table. Friends of the Earth executive director Andy Atkins has commented: "Chris Huhne has championed the environment in an administration that’s shown little enthusiasm for keeping David Cameron’s pledge to be the greenest government ever. He should be commended for insisting on tougher climate targets and fighting for a Green Investment Bank – but his department’s incompetent handling of solar cuts has put 29,000 jobs at risk. Leaving consumers to compare energy tariffs as a way to tackle soaring bills is woefully inadequate. What we really need is decisive government action to get us off the hook of expensive fossil fuels and invest in clean British energy instead. The new energy secretary must stand firm against George Osborne’s anti-green agenda and make the case that protecting our environment is a way to boost not hinder our economic recovery.”
11:31 – We've got the letters between Huhne and Clegg now. Here are the important bits. Huhne first. "It has been a privilege to serve with you in the first group of Liberal ministers in a British government since 1945. The Liberal Democrats under your leadership are playing an essential role in ensuring that the coalition government reflects liberal values at home and abroad. I have been proud to help put our commitments to freedom, fairness and the environment into practice, and to demonstrate once again that liberalism is alive and well in the country of its birth."
11:33 – And from Clegg to Huhne: "I am immensely grateful for the huge contribution you have made to the government over the past 18 months; both in the trailblazing work you have undertaken as Energy and climate change secretary and in your wider role in government as a key architect of the coalition. I fully understand your decision to stand down from government in order to clear your name but I hope you will be able to do so rapidly so that you can return to play a key role in government as soon as possible."
11:40 – Here are the full transcripts of the letters between Chris Huhne, Nick Clegg and David Cameron.
11:47 – On the Terry/Huhne comparison, this predictable little joke is doing the rounds: "John Terry and Chris Huhne have more in common than you'd think; both in bother today and neither can be trusted to take a penalty…"
11:54 – It looks like this morning was a historical precedent. Certainly, no Cabinet secretary has resigned after being charged with a criminal offence since records began in
12:03. A junior minister – under-secretary of state at the Foreign Office Ian Harvey – resigned after being charged with gross indecency in 1958. He was caught being excitable in the bushes of St James Park with a member of the Coldstream Guards. He ran away, was caught and gave a false name but his luck improved when the indecency charge was dropped. Instead, he was fined for breaking park regulations. There's a marvellous story about this, by the way. I have no idea if it's true, but it is certainly good enough for us to treat it as true. When Churchill was woken the day after the incident in the park, his first response was to point out that it was very cold last night – far too cold to engaging in carnal embraces outside. He was told it was one of the coldest nights on record, to which Churchill replied: "Makes you proud to be British, doesn't it."
12:42 – Clegg is finally making the statement. He confirms Ed Davey will be replacing Huhne. "I totally understand and respect why Chris Huhne has stood down from government to clear his name." He repeats the point he made in his letter – that he is holding open to the possibility of him returning to government if he is not found guilty. At the moment, that seems politically unlikely – he'd be lucky to find a way back to the Cabinet table given the length of time the case will take, the coverage of his personal affairs it will involve and the low-regard the Tories have for him. It's interesting Cleggs sticking with it so firmly, though. It's a sign that the Lib Dems feel weakened by what happened.
12:45 – More details of the reshuffle. The Conservatives are totally unaffected. Lamb becomes under secretary of state at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Jenny Willots becomes assistant government whip.
12:49 – And here is the reaction from business secretary Vince Cable. "It's very sad. He's a very, very good effective colleague in government. It's not for me to comment on legal processes. All I can say is he's achieved a great deal. Certainy I'd like to see him back. It's certainly a tragedy for him and certainly we all feel for him and wish him well."
12:51 – And on that note I think we'll bring the blog to a close. We'll have the Political Week on Twitter up later, which will contain many of the reactions to the Huhne news and our weekly review of events in Westminster, where not a few words will be dedictaed to the plight of the (former) energy secretary as well. See you next Wednesday for PMQs, unless there's another historic resignation before then, of course.
