The similarities between Chris Huhne and Nick Clegg, the two men who will compete for the precarious title of Liberal Democrat leader, have often been noted.

They both went to the independent Westminster school, are both former MEPs, and entered Parliament at the same time after the 2005 general election. Indeed, many say that there is little difference between them as politicians. The parallels, it would seem, do not stop there.

In fact, the striking similarities between the men who would be Ming extend across the Clegg and Huhne dinner tables to their highflying, foreign-born wives.

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, who is married to Clegg, and Vicky Pryce are a formidable pair, about as far removed from the image of meek politicians’ wives or the Liberal Democrat cliche of cardigans and sandals as it is possible to be.

Both began life overseas, they are Spanish and Greek respectively, before finding themselves in Whitehall. Ms Gonzalez Durantez, 39, left the civil service a year ago to become head of the international trade practice for multinational law firm DLA Piper. Before that, she was an expert on the Middle East peace process at the Foreign Office, having previously worked in Brussels for Chris Patten, then a European Commissioner, and his successor Ferrero Waldner.

Ms Pryce did things the other way around. The 55-year-old, who first came to London to study at the LSE, had a glittering City career before becoming a mandarin.

Today she is hugely powerful as Chief Economic Adviser at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

In July, she also became the first female joint head of the Government Economic Service, overseeing more than 1,000 economists across 30 departments and agencies. In Who’s Who, she lists theatre, cinema and Chelsea FC among her interests.

Between them, the two women have seven bilingual children. Ms Pryce has two grown-up daughters from her first marriage, as well as two sons and a daughter, aged 14 to 22, with Mr Huhne, whom she married in 1984. All the children speak Greek and English. Mr Clegg’s two young sons speak English and Spanish. But while Ms Pryce has a high professional profile and is well liked in Whitehall, she is intentionally almost invisible as the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman’s other half.

Ms Gonzalez Durantez, has no such worries. She is described by people close to Mr Clegg as “quite political” and will be involved, work and family permitting, with his campaign.

With so little else to choose between Mr Clegg and Mr Huhne, Ms Gonzalez Durantez could yet help to secure a few vital votes.

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