Chris Huhne has hired John Kelsey Fry QC, the barrister who successfully defended Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp against accusations of tax evasion. In court today they were bailed over until May for an early October trial expected to last two weeks. So Huhne will cast a shadow over the LibDem party conference which precedes his trial.

Kelsey did manage to get Redknapp off his tax evasion charges by relying on a dog having a bank account. Can Huhne come up with a pet-related alibi, a shaggy dog-tale perhaps? 

Guido was in the room when Chris Huhne stood next to Sayeeda Warsi at their joint “Labour’s Legacy of Waste” press conference in those heady coalition days of August 2010. He stood there, perfectly calm, with his characteristic blank stare. He showed no sign of disagreement when Warsi said:

“That’s why today, I have written to each of the candidates in the Labour leadership contest and asked them to confirm that they, and other former ministers supporting them, intend to renounce their ministerial severance pay. At a time when people across the country are being asked to tighten their belts to deal with Labour’s economic mess, it is unacceptable that the very people responsible, walk away with up to £20,000 each. Forfeiting this pay would be the first step towards accepting their responsibility, and the first sign that they had come to terms with the mistakes of their past.”

Whatever happens in court on Friday, Huhne broke the Ministerial Code. If that is not “a mistake of the past”, then what is?

Requests have been sent to nearly 2,000 Tory activists to descend on the Chris Huhne’s Eastleigh constituency this Sunday, just two days after his next court appearance. Eastleigh has long been a tense subject in Tory circles after Conor Burns nearly took Huhne out in 2005, though a by-election would be a nightmare for the government, with a straight yellow on blue fight on the cards.

It doesn’t look like the Tories will be pulling their punches though…

Awkward moment passing Chris Huhne in long,empty Commons corridor.i would have looked him in the eye but apparently I was invisible…—
Isabel Oakeshott (@IsabelOakeshott) February 22, 2012

See also: Is Huhne a Psycho?

Julia Quenzier’s court sketch says it all.

The controversial extra-marital affairs dating agency AshleyMadison.com has found a new name to promote their service, having previously used Boris Johnson to front their advertising campaigns they have now switched to Chris Huhne for promotional purposes.

Obviously this is not intended to be a long-term campaign…

The dating site is offering to provide the fast-moving MP with a full-time driver and specially-designed taxi for him to call upon whenever he should wish. Ashleymadison.com, which launched last year in the UK, has written to the former Energy Secretary offering him an exclusive means of transport whilst he is out on bail so he can avoid any further speeding penalties. The decision to offer him a black cab was based upon a poll of its 400,000 members, CEO Noel Biderman says “Setting politics to one side, Chris Huhne has done what plenty of married couples no doubt do every day…” Well up to a point(s)…

UPDATE 10.15: After a ten minute preliminary hearing this morning, Pryce and Huhne were given unconditional bail and told to reappear at Southwark Crown Court on March 2. “The rule in this court is defendants whoever they are & whatever process they came into the court by, they are in the dock.”

Whoops…

Guido was watching Dacre on the other side, but hears that there were lots of cheers from the Tory benches when Theresa May mentioned Essex Police at Home Office Questions.

And rightfully so.

Did anyone get the video?

UPDATE: A Harlow co-conspirator kindly sent this video of Essex Police being praised earlier today by the Home Secretary and Tory backbenchers, it will no doubt be particularly appreciated by Chris Huhne:

See also: Quote of the Day, May 17, 2011

Video via @LiarPoliticians

Matthew Parris opines…

“Huhne isn’t hated. He just hasn’t any friends”