Chris Huhne
A former cabinet minister whose political career ended in a prison sentence for perverting the course of justice, before reinventing himself as a green energy advocate.
Born 1954 (age 72)·British independent politician·Birthday: July 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Huhne's trajectory is a story of high-flying politics and dramatic personal downfall. An Oxford-educated economist and journalist, he entered Parliament in 2005 as a Liberal Democrat MP, quickly rising to become Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in the 2010 coalition government. In that role, he was a forceful advocate for green investment and decarbonisation. His career imploded in 2012 when he resigned and was later convicted for perverting the course of justice, having persuaded his then-wife to take penalty points for a speeding offence he committed. After serving a prison sentence, he rebuilt his professional life outside politics, becoming a significant voice in the biogas industry, chairing trade associations and advising on renewable technology. His life stands as a stark narrative of ambition, scandal, and a form of redemption through continued environmental work.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chris was born in 1954, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the UK's Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2010 to 2012, shaping early coalition government policy.
- Elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh in 2005, holding the seat until his resignation in 2013.
- As of 2024, chairs the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association, promoting green gas in the UK.
- Authored a notable 2020 report with former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove on the national security risks of climate change.
Did You Know?
He was the first cabinet minister in British history to be sent to prison.
Before politics, he was a successful financial journalist and founded a economic research consultancy.
He won the *Independent* newspaper's 'Brain of Britain' radio quiz competition in 1982.
His great-grandfather was a German Jewish immigrant who anglicized the family name from 'Huehn' to 'Huhne'.
“The lesson I have learned is that you can't outrun your past, and you shouldn't try.”
