Ironically, Huhne made the pledge in a press interview set up by Carina Trimingham - the very person with whom he broke his pledge just three months later.
The pledge was made in an interview with Chris Semple a top journalist with the premier Hampshire daily newspaper - the Southern Daily Echo in October 2007. The occasion for the interview was part of Huhne's campaign to win the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Semple conducted a wide-ranging interview about Huhne's claim to be the most suited to lead the Liberal Democrats into the next General Election and a victory that would make Huhne Prime Minister.
The story - with a title that openly mocked Huhne's legendary high self-regard - the headline was: "Is This The Man To Save Our Planet?" - was published on Sunday 21st October 2007.
The writer specifically asked Huhne about the then recent downfall of Huhne's Hampshire colleague, friend and fellow Liberal Democrat MP - Mark Oaten. Just months earlier, Oaten's political career and party leadership aspirations had imploded when the News Of The World (the same paper that recently exposed Huhne's adulterous affair) revealed that Oaten - whose public image was that of a very happily-married family man with 2 kids - had cheated on his wife with someone a bit younger than his wife - who also happened to be a rent boy.
Oaten had also engaged in three-in-a-bed romps and had been on the receiving end of multiple acts of gross humiliation that the newspaper referred to as "a bizarre sex act too revolting to describe." One of his rent boys - a 25 year-old Polish ballet dancer stated delicately: "he was very specific about something special he wanted us to do to him. It's a gross act of humiliation which only a few 'punters' ask for. Quite revolting really".
SPOILER ALERT
(this revelation of Oaten's predilection may spoil your appetite)
The act that Oaten begged for was coprophilia in which the rent boys would both empty their bowels on him. In effect using Oaten as a toilet bowl.("eeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww!")
The revelations apparently put a slight dent in the image of the Liberal Democrats - particularly in Hampshire.
Given the sensitivity about MPs (especially Liberal Democrats) who promoted themselves as happily-married men with kids - turning out to have a penchant for adulterous sex - especially with lovers who are younger and more butch-looking than their wives - Semple specifically pressed Huhne about his personal life and his marriage.
The story - which is still available online - included a direct quote from Huhne in response to Semple's question.
Mr Huhne also promised not to repeat the situation that developed last time a Hampshire Liberal Democrat was poised to stand for the party's leadership. That situation led to the public humiliation of Winchester's MP Mark Oaten over allegations he had used male prostitutes.
"I'm very comfortable with my life, so nothing like that will emerge," he said.
In fairness to Huhne - in his mind he has not broken his pledge.
Yes he has broken his marital vows - but unlike Mark Oaten, as far as we know he has not engaged in sex with male prostitutes.
While some have unkindly said that Huhne's lesbian girlfriend looks rather like a Polish rent-boy, no one has yet accused her of resembling a ballet dancer.
And there is certainly one crucial difference between the affairs of Oaten and Huhne.
With Oaten, it was he who (at his own request) was crapped on.
With Huhne, it is his wife of 26 years, his five kids and his 80,000 constituents who have been shat on...
3 comments:
Regarding the marriage of Carina Trimingham to Lawrence Woo in 1999. Apparently according to the papers the "happy" couple gave separate addresses on the marriage certificate? And as I am sure you know they subsequently divorced only a year or two later. Now let us suppose this was entirely above board then nothing to write home about is there? If however something else was afoot and the marriage was a convenient way for Lawrence Woo to get around immigration then things get really interesting. A false marriage may be a criminal offence? So given the coalition governments stance on immigration is there not a hint of hypocrisy here? Worth a look into me thinks...
Hi there - can I ask why you hate him so much? Other than what he's done recently, you clearly hated him for a long time before this. Just curious as to why?
Hello Anonymous
You ask as fair question and you are entitled to an answer.
It is true that I held disdain for him long before many others who now feel the same way. Especially since his true colours have been revealed by the way he treated his wife and cynically used his family in his recent election campaign.
The simple answer is, like some of his former colleagues from the Guardian and Independent (who worked with him up close for several years in the 1980's and thus got to know him really well); and like Vicky Pryce's really great daughters Alex and Georgia; and like a lot of folks at Cowley Street, I have become aware of what a truly foul human being he is. There was a profile of him in the Indie in 2008 and the title summed him up. "Chris Huhne: Smart, ruthless... and very, very ambitious"
It's not just that he's done some very underhand things (the "Calamity Clegg" dossier being a prime example) and then flagrantly lied about them. A lot of people (especially politicians) do that.
It's that there's been been a consistent pattern of ruthless, amoral, self-serving behaviour throughout his life. Personal life, career in journalism, City slicker, politics etc etc
The bigger question to ask is this: Why do so many other people - in the Pryce family (from long before he shat all over Vicky), from the Guardian and the Indie, and among Cowley Street, and in Nick's circle all end up feeling the same way about him. It's certainly not just me. As you can tell, I hear from a lot of people and I have received a lot of tips from such folks. Especially those close to Alex and Georgia.
So welcome to the club. If it took you a little longer to realise what a bastard he is, don't be ashamed. He IS smart. He also knows how to put on the charm. So he's fooled a lot of people for many years. But finally the veneer has slipped. Using the family photos and slushy faux sentiments on his election address was what showed him up to millions of people. That and his truly nasty treatment of Vicky. ("I'm in a serious relationship with Carina..." WTF type of relationship was the 26 years with Vicky???!!!)
Hope that helps. Welcome to the growing legions who have seen the light...
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