Monday, February 04, 2013

Amazing

There were a couple of news stories today that intrigued me and possibly you too. The first one concerns Chris Huhne, the now former Energy and Climate Change Secretary, who allegedly in 2003 was caught by a speed camera and allegedly persuaded his wife to say that she was driving. If he’d been charged he’d have lost his licence. This all came to light last year, when his wife – now no longer his wife – told the police about this alleged lie. Mr Huhne denied it strenuously for a year but then last night admitted that it was true. He’s now resigned as an MP.

I was fascinated by his statement to the press this morning: "Having taken responsibility for something that happened 10 years ago, the only proper course of action for me is to resign my Eastleigh seat in Parliament, which I will do shortly."

Don’t you think that his wording is wonderful? He manages to sound as if a) he’s doing a noble thing by admitting that he perverted the course of justice and b) it happened ten years ago so it hardly matters any more.

It reminds me of Marlowe’s “The Jew of Malta”, when the chap is about to be accused of murder and instead admits to “Fornication, but that was in another country and besides, the wench is dead.” Well, that’s all right, then.
 

Sometimes really clever people can be a bit… well, dishonest, yes, but also ... dim. He is now likely to get a prison sentence.

Also, his ex-wife – she’s (allegedly) guilty too. Can you imagine wanting revenge so much that you implicate your husband even if you'll end up in deep trouble yourself? Wow.


I can't help feeling a bit sorry for him.

And the other news item is about Richard III’s body being dug up in a Leicester car park. As I understand it, he was known to have been buried in a church which has long gone. The foundations were suspected to be under this car park. A researcher felt a chill when she stood near the place where the body was subsequently found… yes… hmm… but anyway they dug down and found a skeleton which has the right sort of injuries and evidence of scoliosis – and then DNA testing of a descendant of Richard’s sister has proved – evidently – that it’s him.
 

That’s really quite wow too.

There’s a programme about it tonight which I must watch.

When I was a small girl, I wanted to be an archaeologist. But then my mum pointed out to me that I’d have to lie on the ground in the heat or cold and get all dirty, so I went off the idea. But I’m still very interested in the past. And what goes on inside people’s heads.

12 comments:

  1. Typically there's a Richard III joke doing the rounds already: -

    It's a shame he wasn't found under a Millets..."now is the season of our discount tents".......I'll fetch my coat....

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  2. Richard III didn't get a good press, did he......history was being re-written even in those days. As for your politician, a similar thing happened here to a well-known and well-connected judge who persuaded someone else to lie for him when he was caught speeding. He did really good work for many organisations and disadvantaged people, but unfortunately it's the speeding swindle that people will remember him by.

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  3. Interesting programme - though I'm afraid I couldn't quite relate to the emotion the lady was feeling. Driving home one day I was listening to Radio 4's 'A Good Read' when they were talking about Josephine Tey's book 'Daughter of Time'. As soon as I got home I downloaded it to the Kindle and read it straight through. Yes, it's dated but I found it fascinating and am now firmly in the camp of those who believe he wasn't as bad as he was painted. History is written by the victors and all that...
    As for Chris Huhne and his ex-wife - words fail me!
    Is that Cassie enjoying the sunshine?

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  4. Anonymous12:30 am

    It's all in the wording, isn't it? Designed to sound like a graceful exit.

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  5. Oh is THAT who it was? I heard something on the car radio today while I was driving around, and wondered who 'the most hated Royal in 500 years' was...
    I get quite sickened by the media when they dig up stories of wrong doings by famous people, politicians or otherwise. As if they (the media people) are so perfect they've never bent the law to suit themselves? Nobody is perfect, and any one of us would try to bluff our way out of explaining our misdemeanours if we were put on the very public hot seat. (Yes, I've probably spelled that word incorrectly, but you'll you know what I mean.)

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  6. My husband's school playground was a few yards from where Dickie was found. As for Chris Huhne......how much has he cost the taxpayer with all his prevarication , and forcing a court case? He deserves all he gets!

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  7. It's fun to read your comments and see the politics about your former energy secretary -- since I've never heard of him. Politics and scandals seem to be the same all over the world though. I'd read that you were to have the BBC program about Richard III last night -- I was wishing I were there to see it. One thing I've thought sad as I've heard the news reports -- that apparently, a car park has been built on the site of the former church. What else has been lost to progress and concrete?

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  8. Have you made your font smaller Isabelle? or do I need new glasses?? as for C Huhne...a crook is a crook - deserves everything he gets.

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  9. people love reading other people's failure, that's why news about this thrive. then they left us viewing public to speculate - wildly.
    life as we all know it, is a highly personal experience. we do not know the depth of an individual. we do not know their feelings, their thoughts, perceptions, and the internal conflict that they face on a daily basis. their experiences are solely their own, and no one can judge their walk of life.
    we are all individuals who have endured unique experiences and have overcome different life challenges. if we have never been faced with a similar circumstance or situation, then how are we to criticize another person's action and reaction to life?
    xoxoxo

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  10. We followed the case during our two years back in the UK. Yes, good thoughts, Odette, he made a very bad decision on his way to wherever with his now ex wife, we have all regretted a decision made but come on! Agree with Frances, yet again, our taxes were used to pay for this past decade of lawyers fees etc, could the whole thing not been speeded up, just a tad? It used to be a wrong was done, fulsome apologies to the PM of the day and away to obscurity. Just occasionally, the line lengthens of those who refuse to admit mistakes, Jeffrey, Cecil and now Chris... Anyone remember the chap who inadvertently found himself on Clapham Common then mysteriously was driven away ... Blackmail ?

    Love the Milletts comment!

    Just finished all the Tey books kindly gifted by lovely sister, so worth reading repeatedly.

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  11. I've been watching BBC "history cold cases" on youtube, thought they would be the ones that would discover the info on Richard

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  12. Have been following the Richard III finding with great interest. What a find.

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