Cabinet distances itself from Huhne following more speeding points allegations - Telegraph.co.uk

The Foreign Secretary delivered a decidedly lukewarm endorsement of the Energy Secretary, saying: "The speeding points of Chris Huhne are not top of the things I am working on each day.

"He's denied the allegations; the police are looking into it. In the media those things are being questioned, but the police are looking into it and so what can we do? We have to let that process take place."

Asked whether Mr Huhne should step down from the Cabinet while the police investigation continues, Mr Hague replied: "It's his decision."

Meanwhile Labour has called for the Prime Minister to intervene. Tessa Jowell, the shadow Cabinet Office minister urged David Cameron to launch an independent investigation.

"That is what the Prime Minister should be doing," she told Sky News. "He should be getting a proper investigation independently to establish what the facts were and in the light of the facts decide the best course of action."

Downing Street sources said that it was unlikely this would happen while a police investigation was underway.

The suggestion that Mr Huhne's child could testify against him was made by a Sunday newspaper, which quoted a source as saying that one of their three children recalls the event and may be willing to speak to police.

The source said: "Chris has had virtually no contact with the children since he left Vicky. They are incredibly upset by his behaviour. One of them may be willing to talk about what happened over the penalty points. What they remember would support Vicky's version of events."

Miss Pryce's decision to release a copy of her driving licence adds weight to the suggestion that she will tell police, when interviewed on Tuesday, that she took points at her ex husband's behest.

The licence shows that the offence for which she took three points happened on March 12 2003. On that day Miss Pryce, 57, was recorded as being at a dinner which started at 8pm and finished at 10pm.

Mr Huhne is thought to have been on a flight from Strasbourg to Stansted, which landed at the Essex airport at 10.23pm, giving his wife little time to drive from central London to pick him up and suggesting that he drove himself home from the airport.

The release of Miss Pryce's licence was dismissed by sources in Mr Huhne's camp who said it proves only that Miss Pryce incurred points on that day and not that she was asked to take them by Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne has also denied reports that he was ready to accept that he may have been driving his vehicle on the night Miss Pryce's points relate to. The Energy Secretary will tell the police he cannot remember what he was doing on that evening.

Separate reports yesterday alleged that Miss Pryce has told friends, and will tell police, that a female confidante of Mr Huhne's also took points on his behalf.

The claims came after it was alleged that Mr Huhne had an earlier extra marital affair, before he left Miss Pryce for Carina Trimingham, an aide who was previously in a lesbian civil partnership. Mr Huhne has refused to comment on the claims.

The Cabinet minister will be interviewed by detectives this week and has repeatedly said he welcomes the police inquiry.

Miss Pryce too will be questioned by officers. But yesterday it was reported that she will attempt to be interviewed as a witness rather than a suspect.

Accepting penalty points on someone else's behalf is a criminal offence and could see Miss Pryce and Mr Huhne jailed for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.