Sean Hughes (politician)
Encyclopedia
Sean Francis Hughes was a British
history teacher and Labour
politician. He was the local successor to Sir Harold Wilson
as a Member of Parliament, and served as a whip
and a spokesman on defence issues for his party. Respected for his Parliamentary abilities and able to use his historical knowledge in Parliamentary speeches, he played a role in changing Labour's defence policy from unilateral nuclear disarmament to a multilateral approach. His Parliamentary career was cut short by his early death from cancer.
. His early life was described as "impeccably working class", with his father Francis Hughes working as a ship fender-maker in Liverpool. After his father's death his mother Mary moved back to Ireland with his five sisters. Hughes attended St Aloysius Primary School, where he proved to be naturally bright and won a scholarship to West Park Grammar School in St Helens; he spent some time at St John's College, Southsea
which was like West Park Grammar School run by the De La Salle brothers
.
He went on to Liverpool University
where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree and Manchester University
for a Master of Arts
degree. He also attended a Roman Catholic seminary.
plant in Port Sunlight
. However he was very interested in the subject of history; and obtained a Certificate of Education
from Liverpool University. In 1970 he joined the staff of Ruffwood Comprehensive School as a history teacher and from 1973 he was head of the history department. Initially a member of the National Association of Schoolmasters, he was later a member of the National Union of Teachers
.
in 1966, Hughes was elected to Huyton-with-Roby Urban District Council
in 1969 and served until the council was abolished in local government reform in 1974. Hughes chaired the Housing Committee of the council, in charge of its council housing: he found he had the power to decide whether a family would be housed.
In 1972 he was selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate
for Crosby
, then a safe Conservative seat. At the February 1974 general election
Hughes came second in Crosby, with 27.2% of the vote and 15,570 votes behind the Conservative winner. He was shortlisted for the Labour candidacy in Wallasey
, which was a marginal constituency, before the October 1974 general election
, although he was not selected.
He was chairman of Labour Party Young Socialists
in the Northern Region for 1970-71. Hughes had in 1973 been elected to Merseyside County Council, serving one term until 1977. He became chairman of Huyton
Constituency Labour Party
in 1974, an office which had additional significance because the local Labour MP was Harold Wilson
who was then Prime Minister
. In later years Hughes was able to regale friends with anecdotes about Wilson's time in the constituency. He managed to prevent the Militant tendency
infiltrating the constituency party, explaining that "I'm known as a good Catholic who doesn't want trouble".
campaign, Sir Harold Wilson (who had resigned as Prime Minister in 1976) intimated that it would be his last contest. On 27 February 1981, Huyton Labour Party formally announced that Wilson would not seek renomination for the constituency at the next general election. Hughes put his name forward for the new selection, and on 17 May he was selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate for Huyton. Hughes was immediately identified as a moderate within the Labour Party, which was in the middle of an intense internal struggle between left-wingers and moderates. He was duly endorsed by the National Executive Committee
in the same month.
Sir Harold Wilson wrote in April 1983 that Huyton CLP had "consistently kept the extreme left-wing faction in check" and stated that Hughes had twice been responsible for proposing motions which defeated left-wing manoeuvring intended to take over the party – including one quite recent attempt. Boundary changes enacted shortly before the election abolished the Huyton constituency, and Hughes transferred to the new constituency of Knowsley South which was based on Huyton and Roby. At the 1983 general election
Hughes was elected with a majority of 11,769. Although there was a national swing
to the Conservatives, in Knowsley South the swing was to Labour and Hughes had a higher majority than there would have been for a Labour candidate in 1979.
on 27 June 1983, Hughes referred to the council estates that made up most of his constituency as "monotonous labyrinths, bleak, grimly regimented and dehumanising". He complained that the resources to improve the estates were being withheld and that parts of the constituency had unemployment problems even more severe than elsewhere on Merseyside. Later that year he deplored the closure of Nabisco
plant at Huyton, and pledged to raise the issue with the Government although he was sure they would refuse to intervene.
Hughes quickly grew disillusioned about some of the routine work of a "voting fodder" Member of Parliament, and began suffering what he called "backbencher
blues"; where once he had been able to decide housing allocations, he now felt he could do very little for the same families. He did get on well with the catering staff of the Houses of Parliament; they nicknamed him 'Yosser
', while he noted that they had trained at a catering college in his constituency. His Parliamentary speeches were often enlivened by historical allusions, and were often scathing of the Thatcher Government but were also known for good humour and won him friends on both sides of the House of Commons. Hughes' good humour was said to desert him only on Monday mornings if Everton F.C.
had been defeated at the weekend.
He was particularly passionate about improving education, serving on the Select Committee on Education from 1983. He also spoke forcefully on unemployment in his constituency, and was interested in the politics of Ireland, where he opposed extremist nationalism partly due to his understanding of European history.
; it was said that he would regard being called a "loyalist" as an accolade. When Robert Kilroy-Silk
resigned as MP for the next door constituency of Knowsley North
, Hughes was chosen as the organiser for the campaign of his successor George Howarth
who had been imposed on a Militant dominated CLP by the Labour Party headquarters. Militant had hoped to see one of their members selected, and some of their fury was taken out on Hughes. Howarth was comfortably elected in the by-election
.
Hughes' skill as an organiser was also seen earlier that year when the FA Cup
was a Merseyside derby
played between Everton F.C. (which he supported) and their great local rivals, Liverpool F.C.
. Hughes realised that Scottish MPs were given two free tickets to the English FA Cup in which few were interested; he lobbied nearly all the 72 Scots asking if they wanted the tickets or would give them to his constituents. The response was said to be good.
with a majority nearly doubled on 1983, Hughes was appointed as a member of the defence shadow ministerial team to speak on issues relating to the Army. His historical knowledge came to be very helpful and Hughes established a strong reputation for being able to spot weaknesses in Government policy; Ministers were said to have made sure they were well briefed when facing him. A report in the Conservative supporting Daily Telegraph
described him as "the sort of MP that Labour doesn't deserve to have", a joke which Hughes himself enjoyed.
He had been a lifelong supporter of unilateral
nuclear disarmament
and CND
, but the Labour Party was embarking on a policy review. When Denzil Davies
resigned as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and was replaced by Martin O'Neill
in 1988, Hughes assisted the team in helping to draft a new defence policy which would not lose votes for the party (as the policy in 1987 was thought to have done). He organised a referendum in his constituency party which appeared to repudiate unilateralism: 68% of party members thought that Britain should give up nuclear weapons only if other countries did so too. The Labour Party adopted a policy of multilateral disarmament at its 1989 conference.
for some time before his death in June 1990, one of three Labour MPs on Merseyside to have died in their 40s that year. He left a wife and young daughter.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
history teacher and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician. He was the local successor to Sir Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
as a Member of Parliament, and served as a whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
and a spokesman on defence issues for his party. Respected for his Parliamentary abilities and able to use his historical knowledge in Parliamentary speeches, he played a role in changing Labour's defence policy from unilateral nuclear disarmament to a multilateral approach. His Parliamentary career was cut short by his early death from cancer.
Early life
Hughes was from a mixed Irish Catholic and Welsh background, and was born in HuytonHuyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
. His early life was described as "impeccably working class", with his father Francis Hughes working as a ship fender-maker in Liverpool. After his father's death his mother Mary moved back to Ireland with his five sisters. Hughes attended St Aloysius Primary School, where he proved to be naturally bright and won a scholarship to West Park Grammar School in St Helens; he spent some time at St John's College, Southsea
St John's College (Portsmouth)
St John's College is an independent Catholic day and boarding school in Southsea, Hampshire, England run by the De La Salle brothers. St John's caters for students between the ages of 2 and 18 aiming towards the national assessments of GCSE at 16 and A-Level at 18.Established in 1908 as an all-male...
which was like West Park Grammar School run by the De La Salle brothers
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
.
He went on to Liverpool University
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree and Manchester University
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
for a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree. He also attended a Roman Catholic seminary.
Teaching career
In 1969 Hughes began work as a trainee personnel manager at the UnileverUnilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
plant in Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a model village, suburb and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Between 1894 and 1974 it formed part of Bebington urban district within the county of Cheshire...
. However he was very interested in the subject of history; and obtained a Certificate of Education
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one-year course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for undergraduate degree holders that allows them to train to be a teacher....
from Liverpool University. In 1970 he joined the staff of Ruffwood Comprehensive School as a history teacher and from 1973 he was head of the history department. Initially a member of the National Association of Schoolmasters, he was later a member of the National Union of Teachers
National Union of Teachers
The National Union of Teachers is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress...
.
Politics
After joining the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1966, Hughes was elected to Huyton-with-Roby Urban District Council
Huyton with Roby Urban District
Huyton with Roby Urban District was a local government district in Lancashire, England from 1894 to 1974. It consisted of the civil parish of Huyton with Roby which comprised the settlements of Huyton and Roby...
in 1969 and served until the council was abolished in local government reform in 1974. Hughes chaired the Housing Committee of the council, in charge of its council housing: he found he had the power to decide whether a family would be housed.
In 1972 he was selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate is a term used in British politics to refer to candidates selected by political parties to fight individual constituencies in advance of a general election. This terminology was motivated by the strict limits on the amount of expenses incurred by an actual...
for Crosby
Crosby (UK Parliament constituency)
Crosby was a constituency in Merseyside, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, then a safe Conservative seat. At the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
Hughes came second in Crosby, with 27.2% of the vote and 15,570 votes behind the Conservative winner. He was shortlisted for the Labour candidacy in Wallasey
Wallasey (UK Parliament constituency)
Wallasey is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, which was a marginal constituency, before the October 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
, although he was not selected.
He was chairman of Labour Party Young Socialists
Labour Party Young Socialists
The Labour Party Young Socialists was the name of the youth section of the British Labour Party from 1965 until 1993. The LPYS was the most successful of the youth sections of the Labour Party in the post war period, at one point having nearly 600 branches and attendances at its national...
in the Northern Region for 1970-71. Hughes had in 1973 been elected to Merseyside County Council, serving one term until 1977. He became chairman of Huyton
Huyton (UK Parliament constituency)
Huyton was a county constituency in the United Kingdom. Created in 1950, it was centred on Huyton in North West England. Its one and only Member of Parliament throughout its existence was Labour MP Harold Wilson, who served as prime minister from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.The...
Constituency Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
in 1974, an office which had additional significance because the local Labour MP was Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
who was then Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. In later years Hughes was able to regale friends with anecdotes about Wilson's time in the constituency. He managed to prevent the Militant tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
infiltrating the constituency party, explaining that "I'm known as a good Catholic who doesn't want trouble".
Election to Parliament
During the 1979 electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
campaign, Sir Harold Wilson (who had resigned as Prime Minister in 1976) intimated that it would be his last contest. On 27 February 1981, Huyton Labour Party formally announced that Wilson would not seek renomination for the constituency at the next general election. Hughes put his name forward for the new selection, and on 17 May he was selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate for Huyton. Hughes was immediately identified as a moderate within the Labour Party, which was in the middle of an intense internal struggle between left-wingers and moderates. He was duly endorsed by the National Executive Committee
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
in the same month.
Sir Harold Wilson wrote in April 1983 that Huyton CLP had "consistently kept the extreme left-wing faction in check" and stated that Hughes had twice been responsible for proposing motions which defeated left-wing manoeuvring intended to take over the party – including one quite recent attempt. Boundary changes enacted shortly before the election abolished the Huyton constituency, and Hughes transferred to the new constituency of Knowsley South which was based on Huyton and Roby. At the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
Hughes was elected with a majority of 11,769. Although there was a national swing
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...
to the Conservatives, in Knowsley South the swing was to Labour and Hughes had a higher majority than there would have been for a Labour candidate in 1979.
In Parliament
Making his maiden speechMaiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 27 June 1983, Hughes referred to the council estates that made up most of his constituency as "monotonous labyrinths, bleak, grimly regimented and dehumanising". He complained that the resources to improve the estates were being withheld and that parts of the constituency had unemployment problems even more severe than elsewhere on Merseyside. Later that year he deplored the closure of Nabisco
Nabisco
Nabisco is an American brand of cookies and snacks. Headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, the company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Kraft Foods. Nabisco's plant in Chicago, a production facility at 7300 S...
plant at Huyton, and pledged to raise the issue with the Government although he was sure they would refuse to intervene.
Hughes quickly grew disillusioned about some of the routine work of a "voting fodder" Member of Parliament, and began suffering what he called "backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
blues"; where once he had been able to decide housing allocations, he now felt he could do very little for the same families. He did get on well with the catering staff of the Houses of Parliament; they nicknamed him 'Yosser
Yosser Hughes
Yosser Hughes is a fictional character from Alan Bleasdale's 1982 television series Boys from the Blackstuff, set in Liverpool, though ironically the character was played by Manchester-born actor Bernard Hill.Yosser appears as a tall man in his mid thirties who wears predominantly black clothes...
', while he noted that they had trained at a catering college in his constituency. His Parliamentary speeches were often enlivened by historical allusions, and were often scathing of the Thatcher Government but were also known for good humour and won him friends on both sides of the House of Commons. Hughes' good humour was said to desert him only on Monday mornings if Everton F.C.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
had been defeated at the weekend.
He was particularly passionate about improving education, serving on the Select Committee on Education from 1983. He also spoke forcefully on unemployment in his constituency, and was interested in the politics of Ireland, where he opposed extremist nationalism partly due to his understanding of European history.
Opposition whip
In 1984 Hughes was appointed as an opposition whipWhip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
; it was said that he would regard being called a "loyalist" as an accolade. When Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Michael Kilroy-Silk is an English former politician, former independent Member of the European Parliament, and former television presenter, best known for his daytime talk show Kilroy. He has been a university lecturer and Labour Party Member of Parliament...
resigned as MP for the next door constituency of Knowsley North
Knowsley North (UK Parliament constituency)
Knowsley North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
, Hughes was chosen as the organiser for the campaign of his successor George Howarth
George Howarth
George Edward Howarth is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Knowsley North from 1986 until 1997, and since then for its replacement Knowsley North and Sefton East....
who had been imposed on a Militant dominated CLP by the Labour Party headquarters. Militant had hoped to see one of their members selected, and some of their fury was taken out on Hughes. Howarth was comfortably elected in the by-election
Knowsley North by-election, 1986
The Knowsley North by-election, 1986 was a parliamentary by-election held on 13 November 1986 for the British House of Commons constituency of Knowsley North....
.
Hughes' skill as an organiser was also seen earlier that year when the FA Cup
1986 FA Cup Final
The 1986 FA Cup Final was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton at Wembley. The match was played seven days after Liverpool had secured the league title, with Everton finishing as runners-up...
was a Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
played between Everton F.C. (which he supported) and their great local rivals, Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Hughes realised that Scottish MPs were given two free tickets to the English FA Cup in which few were interested; he lobbied nearly all the 72 Scots asking if they wanted the tickets or would give them to his constituents. The response was said to be good.
Shadow Defence minister
Re-elected in the 1987 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
with a majority nearly doubled on 1983, Hughes was appointed as a member of the defence shadow ministerial team to speak on issues relating to the Army. His historical knowledge came to be very helpful and Hughes established a strong reputation for being able to spot weaknesses in Government policy; Ministers were said to have made sure they were well briefed when facing him. A report in the Conservative supporting Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
described him as "the sort of MP that Labour doesn't deserve to have", a joke which Hughes himself enjoyed.
He had been a lifelong supporter of unilateral
Unilateralism
Unilateralism is any doctrine or agenda that supports one-sided action. Such action may be in disregard for other parties, or as an expression of a commitment toward a direction which other parties may find agreeable...
nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
and CND
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
, but the Labour Party was embarking on a policy review. When Denzil Davies
Denzil Davies
David John Denzil Davies is a former British Treasury Minister . He served for 35 years as the Member of Parliament for Llanelli for the Labour Party from 1970 to 2005, and is a member of the Privy Council.-Early life:He attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys in Carmarthen, and then...
resigned as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and was replaced by Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Clackmannan
Martin John O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Clackmannan is a Scottish politician.He was a Labour Member of Parliament between 1979 and 2005, representing the Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire, Clackmannan and Ochil seats successively...
in 1988, Hughes assisted the team in helping to draft a new defence policy which would not lose votes for the party (as the policy in 1987 was thought to have done). He organised a referendum in his constituency party which appeared to repudiate unilateralism: 68% of party members thought that Britain should give up nuclear weapons only if other countries did so too. The Labour Party adopted a policy of multilateral disarmament at its 1989 conference.
Death
Hughes had been suffering from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
for some time before his death in June 1990, one of three Labour MPs on Merseyside to have died in their 40s that year. He left a wife and young daughter.
External links
- ITN news report from 5 October 1988 in which Sean Hughes is interviewed