Sholto Byrnes talks to Chris Huhne, second favourite in the Lib Dem race, about coalitions, privacy and the Austro–Hungarian empire
Until a couple of weeks ago, the name of Chris Huhne was known only to the most dedicated followers of politics, and a few economists. Now the MP for Eastleigh, who won his seat last May, could just be the next leader of the Liberal Democrats. The odds against Huhne succeeding Charles Kennedy have dropped from 300–1 to 5–2; in the last few days he has overtaken the party president, Simon Hughes, to become the second favourite after the deputy leader, Sir Menzies Campbell.
‘It’s the sharpest shortening of odds in the history of political betting,’ says Huhne, one of whose aides expresses deep regret at not having placed a tenner on his boss when he seemed a no-hoper. But the truth is that Huhne’s chances were always better than that. In a small party like the Liberal Democrats, being elected to Parliament — any parliament — counts for a lot.
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