Former energy secretary Chris Huhne gets new job as advisor to Nationwide Energy Services

10:13am Sunday 11th November 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Jon Reeve, Education Reporter

Hampshire MP lands new role - with pay of £437 an hour Hampshire MP lands new role - with pay of £437 an hour

EASTLEIGH MP Chris Huhne has landed himself a lucrative new job as an energy consultant - just months after quitting as Energy Secretary to fight court charges.

The Lib Dem, who is expected to stand trial next year over accusations he perverted the course of justice by dodging a speeding fine, has taken a £42,000-a-year advisory role at Nationwide Energy Services.

The green company specialises in home energy efficiency, providing advice to people wanting loft and cavity wall insulation and solar panels.

Mr Huhne has listed the post on the latest register of MPs' interests.

The entry states he is a “consultant providing advice on business strategy and policy” for the Swansea-based company.

He has already been paid £20,500 for the role, which he received on October 22 - a £10,000 signing-on fee, plus a retainer of £3,500 a month in advance for work in October, November and December.

Mr Huhne said he expects to spend eight hours a month completing his duties, giving him an hourly rate of £437.

He quit the Cabinet in February to fight the criminal charges that he and ex-wife Vicky Pryce lied about who was driving when his car was caught speeding on a motorway in 2003.

Mr Huhne has always vehemently denied the claims.

The role is reported to have been cleared by Whitehall as not having a conflict of interest.

Before he left his role as Energy Secretary, Mr Huhne unveiled the coalition government's “green deal” initiative offering a cash incentive to homeowners for insulating their homes.

Nationwide is one of the firms expecting to deliver the loan scheme.

Comments(30)

arthur dalyrimple says...
10:23am Sun 11 Nov 12

this country needs sorting out big time , hes beyond shame.

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Maine Lobster says...
10:43am Sun 11 Nov 12

You would have thought an organisation like that would already have appropriate personnel within their ranks to advise on energy matters and not have to import expensive external "names." It just goes to show that energy organisations are awash with cash and this type of extravagance is paid for by the hard pushed customer.

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AD1234 says...
10:50am Sun 11 Nov 12

For goodness sake, folks, vote this vile man out in 2015. Why on earth do you keep electing him?

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skeptik says...
11:07am Sun 11 Nov 12

What drove him to take that number then?

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Plum Pudding says...
11:32am Sun 11 Nov 12

Whatever we are told, this country comprises three classes and life is a form of triage. There is an underclass that regardless of what you give them, will remain an underclass and will fritter or destroy whatever is given to them. There is the top echelon who will remain in the top echelon regardless, deriving their wealth, influence and position from the two classes below, and this über-class is self- perpetuating and exclusive. Then there are the people in the middle who spend their lives working and striving to support themselves and take on the burden of the underclass. I suspect that many politicians start off in this middle section but are willing and able to do whatever it takes regardless of morality and sometimes legality to join the lower ranks of the über-class. I do wonder how many of us would, given the opportunity, do the same and behave in a similar way. I get the impression that politics is seen as an easier route as it does not require the same skill set that is required in the business world. And almost always the excuse is put forward that the behaviour is legal but avoiding the often odious moral aspect. For my part I can remain holier than thou never having had the drive, determination and perhaps the lack of scruples and opportunity to join them. I am not sure whether my attitude makes me lean to the left or to the right, but wherever it is, it is permanently and squarely under an avalanche of faeces produced by the class above and which I am forced to eat!

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skin2000 says...
11:44am Sun 11 Nov 12

Plum Pudding wrote:
Whatever we are told, this country comprises three classes and life is a form of triage. There is an underclass that regardless of what you give them, will remain an underclass and will fritter or destroy whatever is given to them. There is the top echelon who will remain in the top echelon regardless, deriving their wealth, influence and position from the two classes below, and this über-class is self- perpetuating and exclusive. Then there are the people in the middle who spend their lives working and striving to support themselves and take on the burden of the underclass. I suspect that many politicians start off in this middle section but are willing and able to do whatever it takes regardless of morality and sometimes legality to join the lower ranks of the über-class. I do wonder how many of us would, given the opportunity, do the same and behave in a similar way. I get the impression that politics is seen as an easier route as it does not require the same skill set that is required in the business world. And almost always the excuse is put forward that the behaviour is legal but avoiding the often odious moral aspect. For my part I can remain holier than thou never having had the drive, determination and perhaps the lack of scruples and opportunity to join them. I am not sure whether my attitude makes me lean to the left or to the right, but wherever it is, it is permanently and squarely under an avalanche of faeces produced by the class above and which I am forced to eat!
Very good post. You are certainly right about the 3 classes.
We certainly live in morally corrupt society. It's seems like someone (although not proven guilty yet) is gaining from his misdoings. Only a matter of time before he becomes a Lord or a Sir. I don't when this is all going to change.

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Chas O'Bursledon says...
12:14pm Sun 11 Nov 12

The Daily Echo is wrong to run stories like this. It shows total ignorance. If a fee is that high for the face to face time it also includes hours of work behind the scenes that are non chargeable. On the one hand we want our politicians to be single minded and focused. On the other, we want them to have wider experience! This man is a good constituency MP. Whomever decided to run this is a shoddy journalist.

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andysaints007 says...
12:15pm Sun 11 Nov 12

I can smell the stench from here !

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andysaints007 says...
12:16pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Chas O'Bursledon wrote:
The Daily Echo is wrong to run stories like this. It shows total ignorance. If a fee is that high for the face to face time it also includes hours of work behind the scenes that are non chargeable. On the one hand we want our politicians to be single minded and focused. On the other, we want them to have wider experience! This man is a good constituency MP. Whomever decided to run this is a shoddy journalist.
How long have you been his gimp? You pratt

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4-front says...
12:22pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Did Mrs Huhne have anything to do with his new appointment I wonder!?

Hey, ho!

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ohec says...
12:37pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Will he be able to work from home, "I mean prison"

Chas O'Bursledon says a load of C**P, where in Bursledon is the mental institution.

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Maine Lobster says...
2:27pm Sun 11 Nov 12

skin2000 wrote:
Plum Pudding wrote:
Whatever we are told, this country comprises three classes and life is a form of triage. There is an underclass that regardless of what you give them, will remain an underclass and will fritter or destroy whatever is given to them. There is the top echelon who will remain in the top echelon regardless, deriving their wealth, influence and position from the two classes below, and this über-class is self- perpetuating and exclusive. Then there are the people in the middle who spend their lives working and striving to support themselves and take on the burden of the underclass. I suspect that many politicians start off in this middle section but are willing and able to do whatever it takes regardless of morality and sometimes legality to join the lower ranks of the über-class. I do wonder how many of us would, given the opportunity, do the same and behave in a similar way. I get the impression that politics is seen as an easier route as it does not require the same skill set that is required in the business world. And almost always the excuse is put forward that the behaviour is legal but avoiding the often odious moral aspect. For my part I can remain holier than thou never having had the drive, determination and perhaps the lack of scruples and opportunity to join them. I am not sure whether my attitude makes me lean to the left or to the right, but wherever it is, it is permanently and squarely under an avalanche of faeces produced by the class above and which I am forced to eat!
Very good post. You are certainly right about the 3 classes.
We certainly live in morally corrupt society. It's seems like someone (although not proven guilty yet) is gaining from his misdoings. Only a matter of time before he becomes a Lord or a Sir. I don't when this is all going to change.
The sad reality is that it won't change. The choice for the working middle class is put up with it or strive to join the upper echelons on the privileged gravy train.

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ronald martin says...
3:54pm Sun 11 Nov 12

That just about sums up this country. You spend years paying taxes, and paying your way, and they even begrudge us a pass pass. 'Then someone like him, Acts like a complete idiot, and comes up smelling of roses. Why do we bother?

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mickey01 says...
4:31pm Sun 11 Nov 12

jobs for the boys again , is there any point in being a hard working law abiding citizen in this country when it seems to pay to be the opposite , at least he can now afford to pay his fine but i doubt if i will ever vote in an election again as i will not trust any of them

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skin2000 says...
4:59pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Chas O'Bursledon wrote:
The Daily Echo is wrong to run stories like this. It shows total ignorance. If a fee is that high for the face to face time it also includes hours of work behind the scenes that are non chargeable. On the one hand we want our politicians to be single minded and focused. On the other, we want them to have wider experience! This man is a good constituency MP. Whomever decided to run this is a shoddy journalist.
Sounds like good journalism to me. Making people aware of his other employment.
I would have thought that with all the problems this country has, he would be fully occupied at being an MP at his moment in time.

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eurogordi says...
6:52pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Elected MP's should be working for us, the electorate, and not be accepting other posts irrespective of whether those positions are paid or unpaid.

The same rules should also apply to elected councillors and anyone else who is supposed to be serving us.

Huhne's behaviour is despicable and no different to that of another MP, Nadine Dorries, who is starring in "I'm a Celebrity"!

Bring on the people's revolution!

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Lone Ranger. says...
7:22pm Sun 11 Nov 12

andysaints007 wrote:
I can smell the stench from here !
so can i ........ it was ok until 12-15pm

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andysaints007 says...
7:30pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Lone Ranger. wrote:
andysaints007 wrote:
I can smell the stench from here !
so can i ........ it was ok until 12-15pm
Wow you really are a prize pr*ck aren't you!! Sad little muppet

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andysaints007 says...
7:30pm Sun 11 Nov 12

The MOAN RANGER strikes again !! YAWN

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derek james says...
8:56pm Sun 11 Nov 12

bit of an own goal i would suspect anyone thinking of having work done by this company would think twice about lining his pocket!

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sotonbev says...
9:37pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Well I wont be buying my energy from any company he works for .

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thinklikealocal says...
10:16pm Sun 11 Nov 12

Chas O'Bursledon wrote:
The Daily Echo is wrong to run stories like this. It shows total ignorance. If a fee is that high for the face to face time it also includes hours of work behind the scenes that are non chargeable. On the one hand we want our politicians to be single minded and focused. On the other, we want them to have wider experience! This man is a good constituency MP. Whomever decided to run this is a shoddy journalist.
I sincerely hope he is not going to spend hours working behind the scenes because how will he have the time to do the full time job he's already got? Perhaps thats why he's in such a hurry to get everywhere?

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MGRA says...
10:29pm Sun 11 Nov 12

the people of Eastleigh are stupid beyond reason to elect this person.....

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IronLady2010 says...
12:36am Mon 12 Nov 12

Can we buy a bigger trough, this pig is getting too greedy and needs a new feeding place.

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GX Saint says...
8:09am Mon 12 Nov 12

Chas O'Bursledon wrote:
The Daily Echo is wrong to run stories like this. It shows total ignorance. If a fee is that high for the face to face time it also includes hours of work behind the scenes that are non chargeable. On the one hand we want our politicians to be single minded and focused. On the other, we want them to have wider experience! This man is a good constituency MP. Whomever decided to run this is a shoddy journalist.
Hopefully he'll have plenty of time on his hands soon - he can work behind the scenes at her majesty's pleasure

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huckit P says...
9:24am Mon 12 Nov 12

All elected MP's should be prohibited from taking on other work and in this case something that would seem to be at odds with his day job.
This man - although not yet convicted - is not exactly a role model by any stretch of the imagination; having lied to his constituents (something ChasO'Burseldon seems to have forgotten) and still has the barefaced cheek to continue in his role. The sooner he is voted out of office the better.
As for his newly awarded pay - all the more tax for the coffers (if he declares it).

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Plum Pudding says...
11:46am Mon 12 Nov 12

As I understand it, if a person is directly employed, the employers yes income tax at source, as well as NI. But if the fee is to a limited company albeit with only one shareholder, then income tax and NI are not paid and the money can be paid as a dividend to the shareholder, without NI and at an effective rate of tax at 10%. I believe this is the mechanism by which the very highly paid choose to be paid so that whilst you and I, I.e. us plebs, pay a rate of around 30-40%, and the very well off are able to keep far more of their well earned pay so that as I said before, it is the working middle class who are providing the support to everyone else and the über-class can keep everything to themselves and can only get richer...I wonder how this alleged £437 per hour is paid.

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cliffwalker says...
1:05pm Mon 12 Nov 12

When Mr Huhne resigned his ministerial post in February it was, he said, to avoid any distraction (from fighting the charge of perverting the course of justice) and that he would continue to serve his constituancy. it seems that he does not believe this very generously paid job with Nationwide Energy Services will not be a distraction from fighting the serious prosecution against him or "serving" his constituancy.
Anyone care to praise this apology for a decent man?

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cliffwalker says...
1:07pm Mon 12 Nov 12

When Mr Huhne resigned his ministerial post in February it was, he said, to avoid any distraction (from fighting the charge of perverting the course of justice) and that he would continue to serve his constituancy. it seems that he does not believe this very generously paid job with Nationwide Energy Services will be a distraction from fighting the serious prosecution against him or "serving" his constituancy.
Anyone care to praise this apology for a decent man?

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sparkster says...
8:49pm Tue 13 Nov 12

I wouldnt vote for this prat if he was the last MP on earth

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