British government minister to be charged over driving offence

Feb 3, 2012, 10:57 GMT

London - A British cabinet minister is to be charged over allegations that he dodged a speeding offence by having the penalty points put on the driving licence of his now-estranged wife, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said Friday.

Chris Huhne, a Liberal Democrat and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), is one of four LibDem ministers in the cabinet of Prime Minister David Cameron, where he holds the post of Energy and Climate Secretary.

Huhne, 57, faces the charge of perverting the course of justice, said DPP Keir Starmer. His former wife, Vicky Pryce, will be charged with the same offence. Both will appear before court on February 16.

The charges present a delicate political problem for Nick Clegg, the Liberal Party chairman and deputy prime minister - who also has a cabinet rank - and for Cameron's Conservative-Liberal coalition.

Both Cameron and Clegg have so far backed Huhne, who has denied any wrongdoing and said he will fight to clear his name. However, it is highly unlikely that he will be able to remain in the cabinet while he does so.

Huhne, a former journalist and business entrepreneur, is regarded as a high flyer in the Liberal Democratic Party. He twice stood for leadership - and failed.

His 26-year marriage with Pryce, a Greek-born economist and prominent LibDem member, ended acrimoniously in 2010 when Huhne started a relationship with a woman who worked for him during his leadership campaign.

The speeding incident goes back to 2003, when Huhne returned home from a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He first became a Member of Parliament in Britain in 2005.