Thrill-seeking Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey landed himself in court for a speeding conviction after admitting he is “super-busy” and blundered when giving his details to police.
The 58-year-old political leader spent the first week of the General Election campaign being photographed in headline-grabbing moments, including falling off a paddleboard and freewheeling downhill on a bike.
But The Standard can reveal fun-loving Sir Ed found himself in trouble with the law recently, after he was caught speeding along the M1.
The MP for Kingston and Surbiton admitted being the guilty driver when contacted by Bedfordshire Police, and had the chance to settle the matter with a fixed penalty fine and a speed awareness course.
He handed over the fine money, but made an embarrassing blunder by failing to provide his driving licence details to police. This meant the case against him was brought to court in a full criminal prosecution.
“I apologise”, wrote Sir Ed, in a letter to magistrates obtained exclusively by The Standard.
“The only mitigation for failing to provide my licence details was just being super-busy and failing to read the form fully”, he explained.
Sir Ed was behind the wheel of a Ford B-Max on the M1 near Caddington in Bedfordshire when it was caught at 73mph – over the temporary 60mph speed limit.
After pleading guilty, Sir Ed wrote: “I cannot remember the speeding offence itself – though I believe this is the first time a variable speed limit camera system has registered me.
“I have never contested the police’s evidence. Indeed, I had previously indicated that I was the driver, and accepted fault for the incident, within the relevant timescales. I also paid the fine (or at least attempted to).”
Sir Ed opened up this week on juggling his role as Lib Dem leader with family responsibilities, including caring for his 16-year-old disabled son.
He took last weekend off from the campaign trail to be with his family, and described being a father as “the most joyful and important thing I do”.
Sir Ed has been touring the country in the Party’s “Yellow Hammer 1” battle bus, and along with eye-catching stunts including plummeting down a water slide, Sir Ed has announced a policy of free personal care to older and disabled people.
In his letter to the court, the politician wrote of his packed daily schedule: “I am the primary driver in a family of four, with two people who have serious mobility issues.
“My son has a lifelong undiagnosed disability which means he cannot walk – we use a Motability vehicle for him.
“My wife has MS, and walks very slowly with a stick, though she can drive as necessary.
“Thank you for any mitigation you feel able to show in my case.”
Referred to on court papers as “Sir Davey”, he was dealt with through the Single Justice Procedure, a courts system which allows a magistrate to deal with criminal cases while sitting behind closed doors.
A magistrate looked at written evidence from the police as well as Sir Ed’s guilty plea and mitigation before deciding to convict and sentence him.
Sir Ed was handed a £72 fine at Luton magistrates court, with a £28 victim surcharge. Unusually, he was spared the prosecution costs of the case.
He also had three points added to his licence at the private hearing in mid-March.
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: “Ed inadvertently broke the speed limit on the M1, which he is sorry for. He has paid the fine and accepted the points on his licence.”
