Political and Parliamentary Career
Hughes first joined the Liberal Party 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.
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