HUGHES CELEBRATES HIS POLITICAL COMING OF AGE

12.01.00am GMT Tue 24th Feb 2004

Simon Hughes today celebrates 21 years in the House of Commons

Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate and North Southwark and Bermondsey MP will today celebrate his 21st anniversary of being elected to the House of Commons by re-enacting his arrival to the Palace by boat.

Simon Hughes was then a 31-year-old barrister who terminated nearly 50 years of Labour rule in the area with 44 per cent swing in his favour - by far the biggest swing in any by-election in recent history. Since then Mr Hughes has almost single handedly transformed the political landscape of his constituency with Liberal Democrats now running the Council compared to their being no councillors in 1983.

Simon Hughes said:-

"It has been an honour to serve Southwark and Bermondsey residents over the last 21 years and be part of the fantastic ongoing regeneration of one of the most vibrant constituencies in the UK.

"The resurgence of Southwark and Bermondsey has been one of the true success stories of the capital, and I hope that if elected as Mayor I would be able to work with the Boroughs to improve the lives of Londoners as I have worked to help those of my constituents."

Notes to editor

Simon Hughes will be taking the Thames Clipper river bus from Greenland Pier (Southwark) to Savoy pier (just by the Savoy hotel) on Tuesday morning at 8.15am and will be highlighting his achievements as a constituency MP including how he:

1- Won the Bermondsey by election by setting the still record swing between two parties in successive elections as the youngest opposition MP.

2 - Held the seat five times at five consecutive general elections, with the most recent general election producing the best general election vote of the five (with 57%).

3 - Only once in 21 years (in December 2003 because of a funeral) has postponed or not attended an advertised constituency surgery - held on average four times a month every month other than August since March 1983.

4 - Led the Liberals and now Liberal Democrats in Southwark from no councillors in 1983 to being the ruling party in Southwark at the last council elections in 2002, with the largest number of councillors and the largest share of the vote.

5 - Set up and led the Save Guy's Hospital Campaign - successfully ensuring inpatient as well as outpatient services being retained on the Guy's hospital site.

6 - Proposed and lobbied for a City Academy for Southwark, the first of which opened in September 2003.

7 - With young people, families and others in the community set up and ran the Bermondsey School for a year in 2001/2 for young people who had no local school place.

8 - Took public and private action leading to the arrest and conviction of the attackers of teenager Jamie Robe, portrayed in 2004 in the drama documentary 'Wall of Silence'.

9 - With tenants, residents and others, persuaded ministers to demolish the Bonamy Estate and build replacement new social housing.

10 - With Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen and others led the successful campaign to preserve the remains of the Rose Theatre.

11 - With survivors and families of those who died after the sinking of 'The Marchioness' won a full public enquiry and a new regime for safety on the Thames.

12 - Successfully campaigned with the late Sam Wanamaker against the Labour Council and the Labour GLC to gain the site for the building of the replica Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Bankside.

13 - Successfully worked with Millwall FC, Southwark Council and local residents to secure a new walkway from South Bermondsey railway station to the ground.

14 - Successfully campaigned with local residents for the Tabard Estate to become a tenant management cooperative, at the time the largest in the country.

15 - Led the opposition in the House of Commons to the abolition of the Greater London Council, forcing a thirty-eight hour continuous sitting, the longest continuous sitting of the Commons since world war two.

16 - Introduced legislation to require the monarch to pay income tax - which was followed within weeks by the announcement that she would do so.

17 - As Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary successfully led the opposition which prevented the abolition of jury trial in the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

18 - One of the leaders of the successful parliamentary campaign for the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Church of England.

19 - Elected President of Southwark Chamber of Commerce.

20 - Various parliamentary awards - green MP of the year, most motivated MP of the year and twice runner up as opposition MP of the year.

21 - Abseiled for charity 450 feet down the tallest building in Southwark - the Guy's Hospital Tower.