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Post by gnat on Feb 5, 2013 6:54:39 GMT -7
about politics sort of
I thought Americans were crazy but now I think you Brits must be as well. Did one of your MPs just resign over a traffic ticket? And if so why?
The way I read it it was about a speeding ticket that his wife took the hit for so he would avoid prosecution.....So my question is do you really put people in jail in GB for speeding tickets? We just take away your license if your really bad and then we might throw you in jail for DUI or vehicular homicide...but not a speeding ticket...geez.
Nannism has gone crazy.
Now if he lied about it I guess that would be wrong and cause for resignation but just getting a speeding ticket even if his wife did take the hit I just dont see it.
GNat
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Post by kyrre on Feb 5, 2013 9:07:40 GMT -7
In general, in Europe, lying is frowned upon in politics. In the US you'll go straight to Congress. (Sorry, couldn't resist)
Seriously:
While politics in Europe really is all about lying, as many other places, what happened in this case is that Huhne let his wife take speeding points (Most likely he had a good few already, he could end up with losing his license for a while, or get a fine, or in worst case you might go to jail, simply for being a "menace to society". But I don't think this was the case here). What made this a resigning cause is that his actions are considered "corruption of the justice system", and that really doesn't look good on your resume. And I am pretty sure that the party whip told the guy to get out or he'll get kicked out.
You can't be a legislator and at the same time ignore legislation.
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Post by davefleming on Feb 6, 2013 4:41:35 GMT -7
He already had penalty points on his licence, we have a totting up system where if you get to 12 points, it's an automatic ban (unless you can show exceptional cause not to). It's generally 3 pts for a speeding ticket, so he would have been banned if he had taken the ticket. No danger of him going to jail, just losing his driving licence for a few months. But there may have been a politcal consequence of that. So he got his wife to say that she was driving the car when the Notice of Intended prosecution came in. Relatively minor in the scheme of things, but regarded as 'perverting the course of justice', and taken pretty seriously by the Judiciary over here. However, in most cases, it's never found out. However, fast forward 10 year - Huhne is now a Government minister (Something that would have seemed unlikely 10 years previously as no-one expected a coalition Gov or the Liberals to gain power) and leaves his wife for another woman. Then the story gets out that Mrs Huhne might have been at a function the night the speeding was detected, so couldn't have taken the points. Both Huhne's deny that (But you do wonder where the story came from!) and have done ever since in public. Due to the pressure put upon him ver this, Huhne resigns as a Gov minister but stays an MP, saying he needs to concentrate on 'clearing his name'. He maintains his innocence up until this week, pleading not guilty last week. However, the Judge then deems admissable text messages between Huhne and his son where his son tells him to come clean and admit what he has done. He then changes his plea to guilty. He didn't have to resign as an MP*, as if he goes to prison, which he will, the laws in the Uk are that a convicted person MP is disqualified if he sentences to more than a year in jail. But he had no option due to continually denying the charge. Although, due to quaint British tradition, you can't actually resign as an MP. They have to create a bit of fiction which prevents someone from holding office. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resignation_from_the_British_House_of_Commons |
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Post by Mofo on Feb 7, 2013 23:11:59 GMT -7
TL;DR: the cover up is worse than the crime.
- He wouldn't have gone to prison; he would have lost his liscense, so his wife lied about it.
- That means they perjured themselves, which IS serious (you may recall an incident in the US around 15 years ago?)
- He's a politician, in a coalition government, in the minority party of said coalition, and ran against the current leader of that party to be in control. That means a loooot of people with knives out for him.
- He almost certainly didn't resign voluntarily. He "was resigned". Get out or we'll completely destroy your life.
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Post by gnat on Feb 20, 2013 7:47:55 GMT -7
Well that explains that. Gotta love a scorned woman tipping of the authorities only to get in the mud herself.
Its a funny old world.
Gnat
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Post by davefleming on Feb 20, 2013 15:55:44 GMT -7
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