POLL: 'It will be okay Tony', politican Chris Huhne said to friend Tony Rogers over speeding point scandal
A FRIEND of disgraced politician Chris Huhne – jailed on Monday for perverting the course of justice – said the former cabinet minister thought he would not be convicted as little as six months ago.
Councillor Tony Rogers, deputy leader of Derbyshire's Liberal Democrat group, said Huhne told him "it would be okay, Tony" when he last spoke to him in September.
Former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Huhne was jailed for eight months – along with ex-wife Vicky Pryce – over a speeding points scandal which they were charged over last February.
The former couple were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court for perverting the course of justice in 2003, when Pryce took speeding points for her then-husband.
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Huhne, 58, pleaded guilty to the offence on the first day of his trial last month. Pryce, 60, was convicted after a retrial last week.
Mr Rogers, who last spoke to Huhne at September's Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow, said he felt "desperately sorry" for the former couple's three children.
He said: "I'm a father and a grandfather and I can tell you they didn't deserve this."
Mr Rogers said Huhne "was a friend of mine and will continue to be a friend of mine" and said he would probably visit him in prison.
He said: "It's terrible for the country because he was a brilliant economist and that is what we need right now."
But Mr Rogers, who said he had known Huhne for "a lot of years", said he had been troubled by his friend's lies.
After the sentencing, the former Eastleigh MP apologised for lying for two years about asking his wife to take the speeding points.
Sentencing the pair, trial judge Mr Justice Sweeney said: "To the extent that anything good has come out of this whole process, it is that now, finally, you have both been brought to justice for your joint offence. Any element of tragedy is entirely your own fault."
Mr Rogers said: "My philosophy is that you shouldn't lie in either your public or private life unless it's to spare somebody's feelings and then you should perhaps avoid the subject altogether.
"You saw so many lies on both sides and that's what they are paying for now."
Mr Rogers said he did not believe the Liberal Democrats would be affected by the scandal "one iota".
He said this had been proven by the party winning the recent Eastleigh by-election, following Huhne's resignation. Mr Rogers said: "The Tory newspapers gave us some stick and we still came out on top."
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by Pine_Martin
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 10:23PM
“by HateTheGame
"The people destroying this country are plainly Cameron and Osborne."
Left wing twaddle. The country was ruined by Blaire & Brown deliberately flooding us with foreign scum.”
by oscardoodle
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 5:49PM
“Oh, how terrible. Huhne's life after prison will be a downward spiral of tragedy and misfortune.
Just like that Jeffrey Archer.
Oh, hang on a minute........ he's not a poor pleb like the rest of us Hoi Polloi, is he?
Ah, that's why I don't care.”
by HateTheGame
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 4:37PM
“The people destroying this country are plainly Cameron and Osborne.”
by 60yearramsfan
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 3:26PM
“Rightly so that this lying ex-politician and his brazen ex-wife should have gone to prison but for rather longer in my view. The ex-minister lied repeatedly for a considerable period of time both to his party colleagues and the public whilst the ex-wife tried to use the law for her own private purposes. I don't believe that either will ever be trusted again by the public so I don't see another political post for him but a behind the scenes role is very likely. As Tony Rogers has rightly said it is the offspring who will suffer most over this as they will face public humiliation for a crime they have not committed. It is just a pity so many politicians found convenient boltholes to hide in over the expenses fiasco otherwise they could have been enjoying Her Majesty's Pleasure also.”
by septimus24
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 3:20PM
“Pine Martin
So you think Mr Plastic is better.”
by Pine_Martin
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 3:06PM
“When can we expect the REAL criminals like Blair and Brown who destroyed our country to be put in prison where they belong?”
by jockyb
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 2:58PM
“Not to worry, when he's released, he'll probably land a plum government job advising on prisons.”
by septimus24
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 1:31PM
“They shuold loose the key.”
by septimus24
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 1:31PM
“They should close the key.”
by janine2011
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 1:24PM
“The lying, thieving, conniving git even had the nerve to claim for an ipad the KNOWING he would be gone by the end of the week.
Out of 600+ MPs are there no honest ones among them?”