When he first ran for Mayor of London three years ago, Brian Paddick had few more fervent supporters than Chris Huhne. This time around Huhne, as the Energy Sercretary, has still to come out for Paddick.  “He hasn’t said anything to me or publicly to support me,” the 53-year-old former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police admits to Mandrake. “Up until a few weeks ago, though, none of the Lib Dem MPs have been able to support any internal candidates. I have, however, a good relationship with all the London-based Liberal Democrats.”  Huhne had a less than happy Lib Dem conference last month after giving an ill-advised interview in which he expressed his regrets over the bitter break-up of his marriage to Vicky Pryce. Pryce herself later said that the sense of “shock” that she felt about what happened has still not left her. When I invited Paddick to say something supportive about Huhne in the midst of his travails – Huhne has, too, a decision coming up from the Crown Prosecution Service about allegations that he asked Pryce to take three penalty points for speeding on his behalf – he brought the conversation to an abrupt end.  Huhne’s office did not return my calls when I inquired to what extent he intended to support Paddick’s bid to usurp Boris Johnson as mayor. I fancy that Huhne may well have Carina Trimingham, his lover, to answer to if he doesn’t put in a word for Paddick soon. Trimingham was seated beside Paddick in the conference hall during the Lib Dems’ gathering in Birmingham.  The two are certainly close. Trimingham did PR work for him during his first campaign to be Mayor of London and Paddick gave Trimingham refuge at his London apartment to escape the tabloid reporters when news of her affair with Huhne broke last year.  Wealthy man that he is, Huhne, if he has plans to invite Paddick and his civil partner Petter Belsvik, a civil engineer from Oslo, around to dinner any time soon, would be well advised not to serve anything but the very best wine.  “My friend Brian is used to the finer things in life,” Trimingham once told me.
Brian Paddick, the Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London, says Chris Huhne has    still to publicly endorse his candidacy