Huhne pleads guilty
Chris Huhne has confirmed he will resign as MP for Eastleigh after pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice.
The former Energy Secretary faces a prison sentence after he and Ms Pryce went on trial today over claims that Ms Pryce took speeding points for him a decade ago.
The couple were accused of trying to avoid prosecution by switching speeding penalty points from Mr Huhne's driving licence to Ms Pryce's. She pleaded not guilty.
Following the verdict, Mr Huhne confirmed he would resign as an MP, triggering a by-election in Eastleigh.
He said: "I’ve pleaded guilty today. I am unable to say more while there is an outstanding trial. But having taken responsibility for something which happened 10 years ago, the only proper course of action for me is now to resign my Eastleigh seat in Parliament, which I will do very shortly. That’s all I’m able to say today."
The Lib Dems have a majority of 3,864 in the constituency.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage is believed to be considering a bid for Mr Huhne's seat, with a UKIP spokeswoman refusing to rule out the possibility of Mr Farage standing in a by-election. "He is considering his options," the spokeswoman told PoliticsHome.
Nick Clegg, who was informed of the plea last night, said he was “shocked and saddened” by Mr Huhne’s conduct and backed his decision to stand down as an MP.