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.