The Rt Hon Chris Huhne
Lib Dems Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office 3 March 2006 – present
Leader	Menzies Campbell
Preceded by	Norman Baker
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Lib Dems Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office 16 May 2005 – 3 March 2006
Leader	Charles Kennedy
Preceded by	David Laws
Succeeded by	Colin Breed
Member of Parliament for Eastleigh
In office 5 May 2005 – present
Preceded by	David Chidgey
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Majority	568
Born	July 02, 1954 (1954-07-02) (age 53) Westminster, North London, UK
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford
Website	http://www.chrishuhne.org.uk/

Christopher Murray Paul Huhne, known as Chris Huhne, (born 2 July 1954) is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the current Member of Parliament for the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire. He finished second to Sir Menzies Campbell in the 2006 election for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats^[1] and is the party's spokesman on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the House of Commons. He is one of the two candidates in the contest to succeed Campbell as party leader. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK cabinet-level position in charge of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the successor to the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for the Environment. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Walter Menzies Campbell, CBE, QC (born 22 May 1941), commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British politician and retired sprinter. ... Norman John Baker (born 26 July 1957 in Aberdeen) is a British politician. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a junior position in the British Cabinet. ... is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other persons named Charles Kennedy, see Charles Kennedy (disambiguation). ... David Anthony Laws (born 30 November 1965) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Colin Edward Breed (born May 4, 1947) British politician. ... Eastleigh is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... David William George Chidgey, Baron Chidgey (born 9 July 1942) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom who was educated at the University of Portsmouth. ... Open seat redirects here. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... North London is that part of London which is north of the River Thames. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... College name Magdalen College Latin name Collegium Beatae Mariae Magdalenae Named after Mary Magdalene Established 1458 Sister college Magdalene College, Cambridge President Professor David Clary FRS JCR President Jessica Jones Undergraduates 395 MCR President Eloise Scotford Graduates 230 Location of Magdalen College within central Oxford , Homepage Boatclub Magdalen College (pronounced... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Eastleigh is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Sir Walter Menzies Campbell, CBE, QC (born 22 May 1941), commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British politician and retired sprinter. ... Chris Huhne, Sir Menzies Campbell and Simon Hughes at the hustings at the Friends Meeting House in London on 23 February 2006. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin...

Early life

He was educated at Westminster School and at the Sorbonne where he obtained a certificate in French Language and Civilisation, and Magdalen College, Oxford where he was a scholar (Demy). At Oxford, he edited the student magazine Isis, served on the executive of the Oxford University Labour Club, and achieved a first-class degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics). Huhne was active in student politics. For other uses, see Westminster School (disambiguation). ... The Sorbonne, Paris, in a 17th century engraving The historic University of Paris (French: ) first appeared in the second half of the 12th century, but was in 1970 reorganised as 13 autonomous universities (University of Paris I–XIII). ... College name Magdalen College Latin name Collegium Beatae Mariae Magdalenae Named after Mary Magdalene Established 1458 Sister college Magdalene College, Cambridge President Professor David Clary FRS JCR President Jessica Jones Undergraduates 395 MCR President Eloise Scotford Graduates 230 Location of Magdalen College within central Oxford , Homepage Boatclub Magdalen College (pronounced... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Isis is the longest-running independent student magazine in England, established in 1892 at the University of Oxford. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) is a popular interdisciplinary degree which combines study from the three eponymous disciplines. ...

Before his political career, he was a City economist, founding what became one of the largest teams of economists in the private sector. He founded Sovereign Ratings IBCA in 1994; in 1997 became managing director of Fitch IBCA, and from 1999 to 2003 was vice-chairman of Fitch Ratings. Before that, Huhne was an economic commentator for The Guardian, The Independent and The Independent on Sunday. He was the business editor – head of department – on the Independent and the Independent on Sunday notably during its investigations into Robert Maxwell's fraud on the Mirror group pension fund. He started in journalism as an undercover freelance reporter in India during Mrs Gandhi's emergency when western journalists had been expelled. He also worked as a journalist for the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo and The Economist. Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ... Alan Greenspan, former chairman, United States Federal Reserve. ... Fitch Ratings, Ltd. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... The Independents old (pre-compact) masthead. ... The Liverpool Echo and Liverpool Daily Post are two newspapers published by Trinity Mirror on Merseyside in the United Kingdom. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ...

Huhne contested the 1983 general election as a Parliamentary Candidate for the SDP-Liberal Alliance in Reading East. In the 1987 general election, he was the SDP-Liberal Alliance candidate in the Oxford West and Abingdon seat and turned it for the first time into a marginal. The seat was won ten years later by Evan Harris. The SDP-Liberal Alliance was an electoral alliance of the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the UK that ran from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal Democrats. ... Oxford West and Abingdon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Evan Harris Dr Evan Leslie Harris MP (born 21 October 1965) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. ...

Member of European Parliament

Huhne was elected as a member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 to 2005, where he was deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the European Parliament. While coming second in the regional poll of party members to select candidates for the 1999 Euro election, Huhne came a comfortable first in the selection for the 2004 Euro elections. Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ...

During his time in the European Parliament, Huhne was the only Liberal Democrat MEP in a ranking by the Economist of the three most high-profile UK MEPs (the others being Glenys Kinnock and Caroline Lucas). He was a member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, concerned with economic and financial policy including regulation of the financial sector. He was economic spokesman for the pan-European Liberal group in the European Parliament and was responsible for introducing "sunset clauses" – time limits on powers – into European legislation for the first time; for radically amending Commission proposals on financial services; and for opening up the European Central Bank to greater scrutiny. Image:GlenysKinnock. ... Caroline Lucas Dr Caroline Patricia Lucas MEP (born 9 December 1960) is an English politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the South East England region. ... Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild... A sunset clause is commonly a provision of a law passed by a legislature which causes that law to, in effect, repeal itself automatically as of a given date in the future, unless it is extended by another act of legislature. ... The European Union is unique among international organizations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... Berlaymont, the Commissions seat The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. ... Financial services is a term used to refer to the services provided by the finance industry. ... Headquarters Coordinates , , Established 1 January 1998 President Jean-Claude Trichet Central Bank of Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain Currency Euro ISO 4217 Code EUR Reserves €43bn directly, €338bn through the Eurosystem (including gold deposits). ...

In addition to his European Parliament responsibilities, he was also active in the development of Liberal Democrat policy as chairman of four policy groups: broadcasting and the media; globalisation; the introduction of the euro and the reform of public services. On public services, he argues that money was a necessary condition of improvement, but that the key is now decentralised and democratic control. Local voters need to be able to hold local decision-takers to account. Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. ... Globalization is a term used to describe the changes in societies and the world economy that are the result of dramatically increased trade and cultural exchange. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. ...

Member of Parliament

He was first elected to represent Eastleigh at the general election on 5 May 2005, a constituency within the area for which he was previously the Member of the European Parliament. The previous MP for the constituency, David Chidgey, was also a Liberal Democrat who won his seat in what was historically a Conservative area in a by-election in 1994 following the accidental death of Stephen Milligan. The result in 2005 was close, with the swing away from the Liberal Democrats being half the average swing away when a Liberal Democrat MP stands down. The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005, just over three weeks after the dissolution of Parliament on 11 April by Queen Elizabeth II, at the request of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... David William George Chidgey, Baron Chidgey (born 9 July 1942) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom who was educated at the University of Portsmouth. ... A by-election was held for the United Kingdom House of Commons constituency of Eastleigh on 9 June 1994. ... Stephen David Wyatt Milligan (May 12, 1948 – February 7, 1994) was a British politician and journalist. ...

Charles Kennedy appointed Huhne a Treasury spokesman for the party, as Shadow Chief Secretary. Huhne led the opposition in the House of Commons to new rules allowing full top-rate tax relief for the purchase of second homes, buy-to-let properties, vintage wine and other exotic assets for self invested pension plans, tabling an amendment to the finance bill in June, and repeatedly raising the issue. The Treasury reversed its position and accepted these points in the October pre-budget report. For other persons named Charles Kennedy, see Charles Kennedy (disambiguation). ... The new eastern entrance to HM Treasury HM Treasury, in full Her/His Majestys Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for and putting into effect the UK Governments financial and economic policy. ... The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a junior position in the British Cabinet. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin...

Leadership contest, 2006

See also Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006

Huhne stood against Sir Menzies Campbell and Simon Hughes for the Liberal Democrat leadership after Charles Kennedy's resignation, formally launching his campaign on 13 January 2006. Chris Huhne, Sir Menzies Campbell and Simon Hughes at the hustings at the Friends Meeting House in London on 23 February 2006. ... The Right Honourable Sir Walter Menzies Campbell (born May 22, 1941) is a Scottish barrister and the Liberal Democrat member of Parliament for North East Fife. ... Simon Hughes. ... For other persons named Charles Kennedy, see Charles Kennedy (disambiguation). ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Huhne was able to carve out a unique position on the issue of green taxation – he argued for a radical expansion of taxes on pollution, allowing for reductions in the income tax rate on the lowest paid ^[2]. This theme endeared Huhne to environmentalists and market liberals alike, allowing him to gain a march on his rivals and pick-up supporters as the campaign went on. He also argued for a repeal of elements of the Labour government's anti-terrorism legislation, which many felt had undermined British civil liberties, and for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq within a year. He described himself as a 'social liberal'.^{[citation needed]} A Pigovian tax is a tax levied to correct the negative externalities of an activity. ... Air pollution Pollution is the introduction of pollutants (whether chemical substances, or energy such as noise, heat, or light) into the environment to such a point that its effects become harmful to human health, other living organisms, or the environment. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income... Environmentalism is activism aimed at improving the environment, particularly nature. ... As a market-emphasized descendant of classical liberalism, market liberalism advocates full freedom of markets, without e. ...

Although the majority of Liberal Democrat MPs - and much of the party establishment - declared their support for Sir Menzies Campbell, Huhne did receive endorsements from some party notables including Lord Maclennan and Lord Rodgers. Amongst the media, The Economist, The Independent and The Independent on Sunday supported his leadership bid. He was backed from an early stage by a number of bloggers, and gained much momentum from a sharp internet campaign. Robert Adam Ross Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, PC (born June 26, 1936), educated at Balliol College, Oxford, is a British Liberal Democrat politician. ... People named Bill Rodgers: Bill Rodgers (politician), British politician Bill Rodgers (athlete), American marathon runner This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... The Independents old (pre-compact) masthead. ...

In the final vote, Huhne finished runner-up, trailing by 21,628 votes to Sir Menzies Campbell's 29,697. Some argue that the brevity of the campaign was never helpful to an outsider in an all-member ballot, and Huhne was still gathering momentum when the leadership race ended. Campbell appointed him as Liberal Democrat environment spokesman in the subsequent frontbench reshuffle, in order for Huhne to develop a viable programme to expand on his green campaign themes^[3].

Environment spokesman, 2006-

The intellectual energy surrounding Huhne's leadership campaign has done much to inform the Liberal Democrats' recent political agenda. His proposals for realigning green taxes and income tax - the green tax switch - were at the heart of the fiscal package endorsed at the party's September 2006 conference.^[4] ...

Huhne has continued developing his party's thoughts on climate change and the environment, including a consideration of the challenges and opportunities they create for British businesses.^[5] He has also been prominent in critiquing the divergence between the Conservative Party's recent environmental rhetoric and its policies.^[6] The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Huhne was one of fourteen MPs forming an all-party parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism in the UK. Their report criticised boycotts of Israeli academics as "an assault on academic freedom and intellectual exchange" and accused "some left-wing activists and Muslim extremists [...] of using criticism of Israel as 'a pretext' for spreading hatred against British Jews" ^[7]. Huhne is, however, a critic of Israeli government policy in the Middle East, and strongly supports the creation of a separate Palestinian state. He described the Israeli response in Lebanon to Hizbollah's rocket attacks as disproportionate and counter-productive, arguing that a strong Lebanese state is in Israel's long-term interest. The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ... A 2003 satellite image of the region. ...

In March 2007 it was falsely reported that he had written to executives at Channel 4 to try and stop them showing The Great Global Warming Swindle^[8]. In an e-mail exchange with Iain Dale, Mr Huhne stated that he only wrote to ask for the channel's comments^[9] and the Daily Telegraph later ran a correction and apologised for the misunderstanding. This article is about the British television station. ... The Great Global Warming Swindle is a controversial documentary film by British television producer Martin Durkin, which argues against the scientific opinion that human activity is the main cause of global warming. ... Iain Dale is a British Conservative politician and pundit, broadcaster and owner of Politicos Bookstore and Publishing. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ...

After Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, Nick Clegg, announced his intention during the 2007 party conference to stand for the leadership when Sir Menzies Campbell retires - widely seen as a swipe at Campbell's leadership - Chris Huhne issued a rebuke to journalists and observed that there is presently "no vacancy, and it would be premature to even talk about the position of there being a vacancy".^[10] Nicholas William Peter Clegg, known as Nick Clegg, (born 7 January 1967) is the British Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam and Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman. ...

Leadership contest, 2007

See also Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2007

Following the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell on 15 October 2007 - and following on from Huhne's strong performances in the 2006 contest and as environment spokesman - it was widely assumed that he would run for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. On 17 October, Huhne became the first member of the party to announce his candidacy, declaring his vision of a "fairer and greener society"^[11]. The 2007 Liberal Democrats leadership election is being held following the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell as leader on 15 October 2007, after 19 months as leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The 2007 Liberal Democrats leadership election is being held following the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell as leader on 15 October 2007, after 19 months as leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 28 October 2007, Huhne announced that he had secured the support of 10 of his 62 parliamentary colleagues for his formal nomination including 4 of the 16 Lib Dem "shadow cabinet". (His rival Clegg has announced the support of 33 MPs [1] and 12 "shadow cabinet" members.) Huhne also claimed backing from at least 12 peers, four MSPs and one Welsh Assembly member. After former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown announced his support for Clegg, a previous Lib Dem leader Lord Steel declared his support for Huhne based in part on Huhne's position on the Trident missile system ^[12]. Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC, (born 27 February 1941), commonly known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician. ... David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC (born 31 March 1938) is a British and Scottish politician and a Liberal Democrat member of the UK House of Lords. ... Diagramatic view of a Trident II D5 missile The UK Trident programme is the United Kingdoms Trident missile-based nuclear weapons programme. ...

Criticism and controversies

Huhne has dealt with several controversies and criticisms during his political career.

Drug advocacy in 1973

A news story in The Times on 21 October 2007 [2] disclosed that an article credited to Huhne had appeared in Oxford University’s Isis magazine in February 1973 stating that drugs such as opium, LSD, and amphetamines should be an “accepted facet of our society”. It included the assertion “Opium is available in Oxford and, in its natural form can be safely experimented with.” In response to questions by The Times about his 1973 pronouncement Huhne responded “To be honest I don’t have any memory of it,” insisting that it was his private business whether or not he had taken opium or any other drug. The controversy about the 1973 article continued in the Daily Mail ^[13] and The Sun ^[14] In an interview published on the Kent News website on 10 November 2007, Huhne distanced himself from his Oxford University views, saying “I clearly regret the views and I don’t agree with those views at all. I was a teenager and I’m now 53 and I think all of us do tend to move on in life.” [3] The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Isis is the longest-running independent student magazine in England, established in 1892 at the University of Oxford. ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ...

Criminal conviction

Huhne was convicted in 2003 under the The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Act (Amendment No. 4) [4] [5] of using a hand held phone while driving his car on a busy London street. Following his conviction, he was banned from driving for three months. [6]

Allegation of abusing EU election funds

A news story on BBC TV’s “Newsnight” on 17 February 2006 [7] reported allegations that Huhne had illegally used European Parliament expenses to finance four newspapers distributed to promote his candidacy for the British Parliament in the 2005 General Election – a use of funds prohibited by regulations governing MEPs. Huhne appeared on the show and denied the allegations. No regulatory action was subsequently taken by the European Parliament. This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:30 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ... Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild...

Investments and share holdings

A news story in The Independent on 27 February 2006 [8] reported that an unsigned document titled "Chris Huhne's Hypocritical Personal Share Portfolio" was being circulated at Lib/Dem leadership election meetings, alleging that Huhne had invested in companies that the document described as "unethical". The document stated "Chris Huhne is campaigning for the Lib Dem leadership on a green, carbon neutral platform, and further advocates increasing tax for the wealthy, which would include himself. However, his registrable shareholdings include, or have included, mining companies, oil companies, and tax shelters." According to The Independent, the document listed three mining firms, one arms company, and seven tax avoidance schemes to which Huhne had subscribed. It also alleged that Huhne had deleted a page from his internet site listing the interests. A spokesman for Huhne responded by stating that Huhne had disposed of his holdings in all but one of the allegedly "unethical" firms. The spokesman also called for a formal investigation into the distribution of the document alleging that it violated election rules. For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ...

Huhne has spoken of the need to "roll back [Labour's] security-obsessed surveillance state". Some have therefore criticised him for holding shares (listed on the Register of Members' Interests) in a UK company called IRISYS, ^[15] which specialises in producing thermal imagers "for process, people and queue monitoring"^[16] and "which sells cameras to let shops count their customers." ^[17] Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false-color) A thermographic camera, sometimes called a FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed), or an infrared camera less specifically, is a device that forms an image using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image using visible...

Controversial comments about the Speaker of the House of Commons

On 6 November 2007, Huhne made remarks about the Speaker of the House of Commons on the BBC television programme Newsnight in which he claimed that the Speaker (Michael Martin) had fallen asleep during a speech by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown. "The Speaker unfortunately fell asleep during Gordon Brown's speech … I'm not sure I'm allowed to say that, but he reacted in an entirely understandable way to what was not the most riveting of parliamentary occasions." [9] After the remarks were repeated in several publications, Huhne decided to make a public apology to the Speaker in the House Of Commons on 8 November in which he unreservedly withdrew his prior comments. “It was wrong of me to draw the Chair into a matter of political dispute. I hope you will accept I intended no personal offence and fully withdraw my comments.” [10] In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:30 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ... Michael John Martin MP (born 3 July 1945) is the current Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...

Personal life

Huhne married a Greek-born economist Vicky Pryce (presently Chief Economist in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) in 1984 after she divorced her first husband with whom she had had two daughters.[11] [12] Huhne and Pryce have had three children together. [13] The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is a United Kingdom government department. ...

Huhne owns seven houses – five that are let as rental properties and two in which he lives. (One in Eastleigh, his constituency, and a town house in Clapham, south London). ^[18] [14]

Huhne is a member of the European Movement, Green Lib Dems, Association of Liberal Democrat Trade Unionists and the National Union of Journalists. The European Movement is an international lobby association that coordinates the efforts of associations and private individuals desiring to work towards the construction of a united Europe. ... The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. ...

Writing

He has written four books that are mainly on the themes either of third world debt and development or European integration: the latest is entitled Both Sides of the Coin (1999, with James Forder), in which he argues the case for British membership of the Euro. Third World debt is external debt incurred by Third World countries. ... James Forder (b. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

He was also a contributor to the Orange Book (2004), in which he advocates reforms to the United Nations and international governance. Huhne was critical of the most controversial article in the Orange Book, in which David Laws proposed an insurance-based National Health Service. He did not take part in the successor volume, Britain after Blair and has voiced dismay at the way its predecessor was presented as a break with the party's social liberal traditions. UN and U.N. redirect here. ... David Anthony Laws (born 30 November 1965) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... NHS redirects here. ...

More recently, he contributed to the book The City in Europe and the World (2005) and two articles to Reinventing the State (2007) edited by Duncan Brack, Richard Grayson and David Howarth. ISBN 0954744810 A collection of essays about the relationship between the City of Londons financial markets, party politics, globalisation and European Integration. ... Richard Grayson (1951–) is a writer, political activist and performance artist, most noted for his books of short stories and his satiric runs for public office. ... David Howarth David Ross Howarth (born November 10, 1958) is a British Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for Cambridge. ...

Huhne has also written columns for the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent and the New Statesman^[19]. The Financial Times (FT) is a British international business newspaper. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... The New Statesman is a left-of-centre political weekly published in London. ...

References

For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ... Iain Dale is a British Conservative politician and pundit, broadcaster and owner of Politicos Bookstore and Publishing. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Chris Huhne MP Official site
• Chris Huhne - Candidate for Leader of the Liberal Democrats Official campaign site
• Eastleigh Liberal Democrats Constituency party
• Chris Huhne MP Profile on Liberal Democrats' site
• Confidence lifts chances Profile in The Guardian, 16 October 2007
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Christopher Huhne MP
• Profile: Chris Huhne Profile on BBC News, 12 January 2006
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Christopher Huhne MP
• The Public Whip - Christopher Huhne Voting record
• BBC News - Chris Huhne profile 17 October 2007
• Open Directory Project - Chris Huhne directory category
• Interview for 18 Doughty Street

For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Offices held