Simon Hughes
Encyclopedia
Simon Henry Ward Hughes (born 17 May 1951) is a British politician and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats. He is Member of Parliament
for the constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
. Until 2008 he was President of the Liberal Democrats (the party president chairs a number of party committees and also represents the party at official functions). Hughes has twice run unsuccessfully for the leadership of the party and was its unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of London
in the 2004 election
. He is also Chair of the trustees for the Thames Festival, a weekend of events on London's South Bank.
He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor on 15 December 2010.
, England, and partly brought up in Wales. He was educated at The Cathedral School, Llandaff
where he was Dean's Scholar and Head Boy in 1964; Christ College, Brecon
; Selwyn College, Cambridge
, where he graduated with a 2:1 in Law; and the College of Europe
in Bruges
, where he earned a postgraduate Certificate of Advanced European Studies
(equivalent to a Master's degree). Hughes was called to the bar
at the Inner Temple
in 1974. He moved to Bermondsey
in 1981.
of 24 February 1983. The by-election was described by Gay News
as "the dirtiest and most notorious by-election in British political history" because of the slurs against the character of the Labour
candidate and gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell
by various opposition campaigners. The Liberal Campaign leaflet described the election as "a straight choice" between Simon Hughes and the Labour candidate, a standard campaigning slogan. Hughes won the seat with 57.7% of the vote. He apologised for the campaign in 2006, during the same few days revealing his own homosexual experiences, and confirming that he is bisexual after being outed by The Sun
newspaper.
Mr Hughes told the BBC's Newsnight
programme: "I hope that there will never be that sort of campaign again. I have never been comfortable about the whole of that campaign, as Peter knows, and I said that to him in the past ... Where there were things that were inappropriate or wrong, I apologise for that."
In an apparent attempt to bring the controversy over the 1983 Bermondsey byelection to a close, Peter Tatchell formally endorsed Simon Hughes for Lib Dem leader on 25 January 2006, saying: "Simon Hughes is the best of the Lib Dem leadership candidates. If I was a party member, he'd get my vote. I want to see a stronger lead on social justice and green issues. Despite his recent drift to the centre, Simon is the contender most likely to move the Liberal Democrats in a progressive direction."
In the same statement, Tatchell added: "Since his election, Simon has redeemed himself by voting for gay equality. That's all that matters now. He should be judged on his policies, not his private life."
The election result in North Southwark & Bermondsey in the 2005 general election was a poorer one for Hughes than those he had achieved in previous battles. He held the seat but the Labour Party saw a 5.9% swing in their favour—the biggest swing to Labour anywhere in the UK. When interviewed on election night television by Jeremy Paxman, Hughes suggested that the fall in his vote might reflect the unpopularity of Southwark Council
, which has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats since 2002.
At the United Kingdom general election, 1983
, held a matter of months after the by-election victory, the constituency had been redrawn as Southwark and Bermondsey
. By the election in 1997, this has been redrawn again as North Southwark and Bermondsey, with a further change prior to the 2010 election at which the seat was titled Bermondsey and Old Southwark
.
in 1972, when he signed up to Cambridge University Liberal Club as a student. As part of the SDP–Liberal Alliance, Hughes was spokesman for the environment from 1983 to 1988. Along with the majority of Liberals
, he joined the newly founded Liberal Democrats in 1988, acting as spokesman for education until 1992, then the environment again until 1994, then health until 1997, and then home affairs until 2003. He was the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2004 Mayor of London elections
and came in third with 15.22% of the first preference vote.
In 1986 he with two other MPs Archie Kirkwood MP and Michael Meadowcroft
MP and the NLYL and other parts of the party produced Across the Divide: Liberal Values on Defence and Disarmament. This was the rally call that defeated the party leadership in the debate over the issue of an independent nuclear deterrent. Many believe it was Simon Hughes speech that won the day for the rebels by 23 votes.
Among other party offices, Hughes is Vice-President of the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum
. He has also stated that "the present constitutional arrangements for making English decisions are unacceptable and need to be changed"
He is a member of the centre-left Beveridge Group
within the Liberal Democrats.
, asylum so he would not be deported to his homeland of Iran, which had executed his boyfriend and almost certainly would have executed him. Mehdi Kazemi thanked Hughes in a letter to people across the world who fought to save his life: "I would like to say thank you to my local MP, Mr Simon Hughes, and his team who gave me the chance to live and made a miracle happen when he heard that my life was in serious danger and asked the Home Office to suspend my deportation in December 2006. I would not be here if it hadn’t been for his intervention. He was here for me then and he was here for me again when I was eventually sent back to the UK in April this year. I do not know if I would have been granted my refugee status without him."
. He had initially delayed any announcement while carrying out Presidential responsibilities in drawing up the timetable for the contest.
Speaking to reporters he said: "What I have to offer is my ambition, enthusiasm and passion.... What I have to offer is my experience over many years in Parliament and campaigning around the country to motivate people to join us."
After revelation about Hughes' long rumoured sexuality, which came four days after Mark Oaten
resigned from the Liberal Democrat front bench and gave up on the leadership race, Peter Tatchell confirmed his view that, despite the 1983 Bermondsey incidents: "I hope Simon is elected as party leader because of all the contenders he is the most progressive on human rights, social justice and environmental issues."
Mr Hughes apologised after his outing
by The Sun
, saying "I gave a reply that wasn't untrue but was clearly misleading and I apologise." He also admitted during the Question Time leadership candidate debate on BBC1 on 9 February that he hadn't handled the matter very well.
Simon Hughes campaigned under the rubric
of 'Freedom, fairness and sustainability.' His manifesto
was also released in pdf format, and was available from his campaign website
. Of the three candidates in the contest, he was generally considered the most leftwing
. For example, he said in his manifesto that "Britain has become less, not more fair, in recent years. Few people would have expected the Tories to deliver a fair society. But more might have hoped that a Labour government would deliver fairness.
The reality has been bitterly disappointing. Inequalities in health have increased under Labour, not decreased."
The campaign
was marked by a series of hustings around the UK. One was held in Edinburgh
where Hughes stressed his human rights
and Green friendly
background; another in Manchester
, where Chris Huhne
rebutted criticism from Sir Menzies Campbell that his call for a rise in petrol duty
would harm people living in rural areas dependent on using their cars. The final hustings was held in London on 23 February 2006.
He said he was proud to have played some part in the success of the LibDems across the country.
In the final result, Hughes came third in the ballot of party members – with 12,081 votes – behind Campbell and Huhne.
In the autumn of 2007, as speculation over Menzies Campbell's leadership continued, Simon Hughes publicly criticised him in a GMTV
interview, stating he must do better.
for 36 years
– with the Tories having the most votes and seats but no party having an overall majority. On 11 May 2010, Labour Party
leader and prime minister Gordon Brown
announced his resignation and paved the way for David Cameron
to become the new prime minister, with the Tories promptly forming a coalition
with the Liberal Democrats. Among the Liberal Democrat MPs to be given roles in the cabinet was the deputy party leader Vince Cable, who became Business Secretary and resigned from his role as deputy party leader.
This paved the way for a deputy leadership election, with Hughes being declared the winner. He beat the only other candidate, Tim Farron
, by 38–18.
Although the post is usually called "Deputy Leader", strictly speaking the role is Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons. The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the House of Lords has its own leader and deputy leader.
On 9 December 2010, Hughes was one of 8 Liberal Democrat MPs abstain from the vote on Government proposals to increase university tuition fees. The vote was particularly controversial for Liberal Democrats as many Lib Dem MPs had previously signed an NUS pledge
promising to vote against tuition fee increases.
football club, which whilst considered to be in South Bermondsey is actually based just outside his constituency in Lewisham Deptford.
Hughes has never married, although in an interview with The Daily Telegraph
in 2006, he claimed he had been turned down by "several women". He denied persistent rumours about his sexuality
, when asked if he was gay, saying "The answer is no, as it happens, but if it were the case, which it isn't, I hope that it would not be an issue." Two days later, in an interview with The Independent
he again denied being gay, and later in an interview with The Guardian
he repeated the denial.
However, on 26 January 2006, after The Sun newspaper told him that they had proof that he had used a gay chat service known as 'Man Talk', Hughes admitted that in the past he had had relationships with both women and men. He said he had revealed the truth when it became apparent that not doing so was not stopping rumours: [I] was overly defensive last week. That was a mistake. I did it and I was trying to make sure that even in the circumstances of potentially standing as leader of the party — or for high office — that private life was private. It was clear even afterwards that the question from colleagues and the press and elsewhere was not going to go away.
He said his sexuality should not prevent him becoming leader, saying, "It would be very sad if people who have always been single or who are homosexual felt that their sexuality prevented them from holding high office. I hope that my party and the great majority of the British public would agree with that... It is not just me. There are lots of people who have tried to keep their private lives private. I wasn't just doing it for me but for many others who are in the same boat".
Referring to his change from previous denials about his sexuality and recent Liberal Democrat difficulties he said, "I hope that any colleague in any party at any time who might not have been entirely honest for good reason or who may have made a mistake is accepted back at the right time." and also "I gave a reply that wasn't untrue but was clearly misleading. I apologise." He confirmed to PinkNews that he is bisexual.
In an interview broadcast on the same day on Radio 5 Live
, he was asked if he considered quitting the race for leadership of his party, he replied: “Of course. I considered also whether I should stand in the first place. It is a balance I have always had to take."
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Bermondsey and Old Southwark (UK Parliament constituency)
Bermondsey and Old Southwark is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons, electing one Member of Parliament using the first past the post system.The seat was created for the 2010 general election...
. Until 2008 he was President of the Liberal Democrats (the party president chairs a number of party committees and also represents the party at official functions). Hughes has twice run unsuccessfully for the leadership of the party and was its unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
in the 2004 election
London mayoral election, 2004
The 2004 election to the post of Mayor of London took place on 10 June 2004. It was being held on the same day as other local elections and the UK part of the 2004 European Parliament elections, so Londoners had a total of five votes on three ballot papers. Polling opened at 07:00 local time, and...
. He is also Chair of the trustees for the Thames Festival, a weekend of events on London's South Bank.
He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor on 15 December 2010.
Early life and pre-parliamentary career
Hughes was born in CheshireCheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England, and partly brought up in Wales. He was educated at The Cathedral School, Llandaff
The Cathedral School, Llandaff
The Cathedral School, Llandaff is a coeducational Welsh independent senior, prep and pre-prep day school. It is located in Llandaff, Cardiff. The school is part of the Woodard Schools foundation, as well as having many links to the neighbouring Llandaff Cathedral.In 1880 Dean John Vaughan opened a...
where he was Dean's Scholar and Head Boy in 1964; Christ College, Brecon
Christ College, Brecon
Christ College, Brecon is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school, located in the market town of Brecon in mid-Wales. It caters for pupils from eleven to eighteen.Christ College was founded by Royal Charter in 1541 by King Henry VIII...
; Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College is a constituent college in the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom.The college was founded by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of the Rt Reverend George Selwyn , who rowed on the Cambridge crew in the first Varsity Boat Race in 1829, and went on to become the...
, where he graduated with a 2:1 in Law; and the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, where he earned a postgraduate Certificate of Advanced European Studies
Certificate of Advanced European Studies
The Certificate of Advanced European Studies is a postgraduate qualification, equivalent to a master's degree, that was awarded by the College of Europe, a postgraduate elite school in Bruges, Belgium, from its foundation in 1949 until the late 1980s, upon completion of its 1-year programme...
(equivalent to a Master's degree). Hughes was called to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1974. He moved to Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
in 1981.
Bermondsey
Hughes was first elected to Parliament in the Bermondsey by-electionBermondsey by-election, 1983
A by-election was held in the Bermondsey constituency in South London, on 24 February 1983, following the resignation of Labour MP Robert Mellish, who had represented the constituency and its predecessors in the House of Commons since 1946...
of 24 February 1983. The by-election was described by Gay News
Gay News
Gay News was a pioneering fortnightly newspaper in the United Kingdom founded in June 1972 in a collaboration between former members of the Gay Liberation Front and members of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality...
as "the dirtiest and most notorious by-election in British political history" because of the slurs against the character of the 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...
candidate and gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell
Peter Tatchell
Peter Gary Tatchell is an Australian-born British political campaigner best known for his work with LGBT social movements...
by various opposition campaigners. The Liberal Campaign leaflet described the election as "a straight choice" between Simon Hughes and the Labour candidate, a standard campaigning slogan. Hughes won the seat with 57.7% of the vote. He apologised for the campaign in 2006, during the same few days revealing his own homosexual experiences, and confirming that he is bisexual after being outed by The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper.
Mr Hughes told the BBC's Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
programme: "I hope that there will never be that sort of campaign again. I have never been comfortable about the whole of that campaign, as Peter knows, and I said that to him in the past ... Where there were things that were inappropriate or wrong, I apologise for that."
In an apparent attempt to bring the controversy over the 1983 Bermondsey byelection to a close, Peter Tatchell formally endorsed Simon Hughes for Lib Dem leader on 25 January 2006, saying: "Simon Hughes is the best of the Lib Dem leadership candidates. If I was a party member, he'd get my vote. I want to see a stronger lead on social justice and green issues. Despite his recent drift to the centre, Simon is the contender most likely to move the Liberal Democrats in a progressive direction."
In the same statement, Tatchell added: "Since his election, Simon has redeemed himself by voting for gay equality. That's all that matters now. He should be judged on his policies, not his private life."
The election result in North Southwark & Bermondsey in the 2005 general election was a poorer one for Hughes than those he had achieved in previous battles. He held the seat but the Labour Party saw a 5.9% swing in their favour—the biggest swing to Labour anywhere in the UK. When interviewed on election night television by Jeremy Paxman, Hughes suggested that the fall in his vote might reflect the unpopularity of Southwark Council
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, which has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats since 2002.
At the United Kingdom general election, 1983
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...
, held a matter of months after the by-election victory, the constituency had been redrawn as Southwark and Bermondsey
Southwark and Bermondsey (UK Parliament constituency)
Southwark and Bermondsey was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Bermondsey district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
. By the election in 1997, this has been redrawn again as North Southwark and Bermondsey, with a further change prior to the 2010 election at which the seat was titled Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Bermondsey and Old Southwark (UK Parliament constituency)
Bermondsey and Old Southwark is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons, electing one Member of Parliament using the first past the post system.The seat was created for the 2010 general election...
.
Political and parliamentary career
Hughes first joined the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in 1972, when he signed up to Cambridge University Liberal Club as a student. As part of the SDP–Liberal Alliance, Hughes was spokesman for the environment from 1983 to 1988. Along with the majority of Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, he joined the newly founded Liberal Democrats in 1988, acting as spokesman for education until 1992, then the environment again until 1994, then health until 1997, and then home affairs until 2003. He was the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2004 Mayor of London elections
London mayoral election, 2004
The 2004 election to the post of Mayor of London took place on 10 June 2004. It was being held on the same day as other local elections and the UK part of the 2004 European Parliament elections, so Londoners had a total of five votes on three ballot papers. Polling opened at 07:00 local time, and...
and came in third with 15.22% of the first preference vote.
In 1986 he with two other MPs Archie Kirkwood MP and Michael Meadowcroft
Michael Meadowcroft
Michael James Meadowcroft is a politician and political affairs consultant in the United Kingdom.He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for Leeds West from 1983 to 1987, and founder of the "continuing" Liberal Party in 1989 following the party's merger with the Social Democratic Party to form the...
MP and the NLYL and other parts of the party produced Across the Divide: Liberal Values on Defence and Disarmament. This was the rally call that defeated the party leadership in the debate over the issue of an independent nuclear deterrent. Many believe it was Simon Hughes speech that won the day for the rebels by 23 votes.
Among other party offices, Hughes is Vice-President of the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum
Liberal Democrat Christian Forum
The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum is an association within the Liberal Democrats that aims to promote Christianity within the party and the party to other Christians. In 2007 it had a membership of more than 250...
. He has also stated that "the present constitutional arrangements for making English decisions are unacceptable and need to be changed"
He is a member of the centre-left Beveridge Group
Beveridge Group
The Beveridge Group is a centre-left group within the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. It was set up in 2001 by MPs Alistair Carmichael, Paul Holmes, John Barrett and John Pugh to promote debate within the party regarding public service provision....
within the Liberal Democrats.
Getting refugee status for Mehdi Kazemi
Simon Hughes was an important figure in the fight to grant a young gay man, Mehdi KazemiMehdi Kazemi
Mehdi Kazemi is a gay Iranian who is currently wanted in Iran for sodomy. Originally in the UK to study, he was granted asylum by Britain in 2008.-Background:...
, asylum so he would not be deported to his homeland of Iran, which had executed his boyfriend and almost certainly would have executed him. Mehdi Kazemi thanked Hughes in a letter to people across the world who fought to save his life: "I would like to say thank you to my local MP, Mr Simon Hughes, and his team who gave me the chance to live and made a miracle happen when he heard that my life was in serious danger and asked the Home Office to suspend my deportation in December 2006. I would not be here if it hadn’t been for his intervention. He was here for me then and he was here for me again when I was eventually sent back to the UK in April this year. I do not know if I would have been granted my refugee status without him."
Leadership election 2006
On 12 January 2006 Hughes announced his candidature in the Leadership Election triggered by the resignation of Charles KennedyCharles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
. He had initially delayed any announcement while carrying out Presidential responsibilities in drawing up the timetable for the contest.
Speaking to reporters he said: "What I have to offer is my ambition, enthusiasm and passion.... What I have to offer is my experience over many years in Parliament and campaigning around the country to motivate people to join us."
After revelation about Hughes' long rumoured sexuality, which came four days after Mark Oaten
Mark Oaten
Mark Oaten is a former British Liberal Democrat politician. He served as the Member of Parliament for Winchester from 1997 to 2010, and was his party's Home Affairs spokesperson from 2003 to 2006...
resigned from the Liberal Democrat front bench and gave up on the leadership race, Peter Tatchell confirmed his view that, despite the 1983 Bermondsey incidents: "I hope Simon is elected as party leader because of all the contenders he is the most progressive on human rights, social justice and environmental issues."
Mr Hughes apologised after his outing
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
by The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, saying "I gave a reply that wasn't untrue but was clearly misleading and I apologise." He also admitted during the Question Time leadership candidate debate on BBC1 on 9 February that he hadn't handled the matter very well.
Simon Hughes campaigned under the rubric
Rubric
A rubric is a word or section of text which is traditionally written or printed in red ink to highlight it. The word derives from the , meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in Medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th century or earlier...
of 'Freedom, fairness and sustainability.' His manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
was also released in pdf format, and was available from his campaign website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. Of the three candidates in the contest, he was generally considered the most leftwing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
. For example, he said in his manifesto that "Britain has become less, not more fair, in recent years. Few people would have expected the Tories to deliver a fair society. But more might have hoped that a Labour government would deliver fairness.
The reality has been bitterly disappointing. Inequalities in health have increased under Labour, not decreased."
The campaign
Timeline of events in the Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006
This timeline of events in the Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006 lists the events covering the period from Charles Kennedy's initial call for a leadership election with the Liberal Democrats to the conclusion of the Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006.-5 January :*The media...
was marked by a series of hustings around the UK. One was held in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
where Hughes stressed his human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and Green friendly
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
background; another in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, where Chris Huhne
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul-Huhne, generally known as Chris Huhne is a British politician and cabinet minister, who is the current Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire...
rebutted criticism from Sir Menzies Campbell that his call for a rise in petrol duty
Fuel tax
A fuel tax is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation...
would harm people living in rural areas dependent on using their cars. The final hustings was held in London on 23 February 2006.
He said he was proud to have played some part in the success of the LibDems across the country.
In the final result, Hughes came third in the ballot of party members – with 12,081 votes – behind Campbell and Huhne.
In the autumn of 2007, as speculation over Menzies Campbell's leadership continued, Simon Hughes publicly criticised him in a GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
interview, stating he must do better.
Deputy leadership election, 2010
The 2010 general election, held on 6 May 2010, resulted in the first hung parliamentHung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
for 36 years
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,...
– with the Tories having the most votes and seats but no party having an overall majority. On 11 May 2010, Labour Party
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...
leader and prime minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
announced his resignation and paved the way for David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
to become the new prime minister, with the Tories promptly forming a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
with the Liberal Democrats. Among the Liberal Democrat MPs to be given roles in the cabinet was the deputy party leader Vince Cable, who became Business Secretary and resigned from his role as deputy party leader.
This paved the way for a deputy leadership election, with Hughes being declared the winner. He beat the only other candidate, Tim Farron
Tim Farron
Timothy James Farron is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is currently Member of Parliament for the constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale...
, by 38–18.
Although the post is usually called "Deputy Leader", strictly speaking the role is Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons. The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the House of Lords has its own leader and deputy leader.
On 9 December 2010, Hughes was one of 8 Liberal Democrat MPs abstain from the vote on Government proposals to increase university tuition fees. The vote was particularly controversial for Liberal Democrats as many Lib Dem MPs had previously signed an NUS pledge
Vote for Students pledge
The National Union of Students "Vote for Students" pledge is a pledge to vote against tuition fee increases that was signed by over 1000 candidates standing in the UK general election in 2010, notably including all 57 subsequently elected Liberal Democrat MPs.-The pledge:The pledge states:The NUS...
promising to vote against tuition fee increases.
Personal life
Outside politics Hughes is a noted supporter of MillwallMillwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
football club, which whilst considered to be in South Bermondsey is actually based just outside his constituency in Lewisham Deptford.
Hughes has never married, although in an interview with The 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...
in 2006, he claimed he had been turned down by "several women". He denied persistent rumours about his sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, when asked if he was gay, saying "The answer is no, as it happens, but if it were the case, which it isn't, I hope that it would not be an issue." Two days later, in an interview with The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
he again denied being gay, and later in an interview with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
he repeated the denial.
However, on 26 January 2006, after The Sun newspaper told him that they had proof that he had used a gay chat service known as 'Man Talk', Hughes admitted that in the past he had had relationships with both women and men. He said he had revealed the truth when it became apparent that not doing so was not stopping rumours: [I] was overly defensive last week. That was a mistake. I did it and I was trying to make sure that even in the circumstances of potentially standing as leader of the party — or for high office — that private life was private. It was clear even afterwards that the question from colleagues and the press and elsewhere was not going to go away.
He said his sexuality should not prevent him becoming leader, saying, "It would be very sad if people who have always been single or who are homosexual felt that their sexuality prevented them from holding high office. I hope that my party and the great majority of the British public would agree with that... It is not just me. There are lots of people who have tried to keep their private lives private. I wasn't just doing it for me but for many others who are in the same boat".
Referring to his change from previous denials about his sexuality and recent Liberal Democrat difficulties he said, "I hope that any colleague in any party at any time who might not have been entirely honest for good reason or who may have made a mistake is accepted back at the right time." and also "I gave a reply that wasn't untrue but was clearly misleading. I apologise." He confirmed to PinkNews that he is bisexual.
In an interview broadcast on the same day on Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, he was asked if he considered quitting the race for leadership of his party, he replied: “Of course. I considered also whether I should stand in the first place. It is a balance I have always had to take."
External links
- Simon Hughes MP official constituency website
- Profile at the Liberal Democrats
- Profile: Simon Hughes BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 3 February 2006