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Welcome to my website

It has been a great privilege to serve the people of Southwark and Bermondsey since 1983. I am really pleased to have been chosen again to represent the renamed constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark, with more votes than ever before. Thank you.

Rt Hon Simon Hughes MP at the Mayor's Thames Festival (Sing for Water event) Photo Alan Habbick (Alan Habbick)

I have always worked hard to stand up for civil liberties and human rights, reduce poverty, protect our environment and make sure that the voices of our local communities are heard in parliament.

In December 2010 I was asked by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to act as the Government's Advocate for Access to Education. I was delighted to accept this role and I submitted my final report to government in July 2012. You can find out more about what I did in this role and see a copy of my final report here.

Signature

My work in Parliament

As the Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP for the last 29 years I was elected to represent my constituents nationally.

House of Commons

I am proud to have been one of the busiest parliamentarians, speaking out on all sorts of issues from the environment, housing, crime and immigration to civil liberties and equality. I speak in debates, ask questions, and vote. Recent answers to questions and interventions I have made in debates can be found on They Work for You (external website).

Find out more about my work in parliament and how it works

London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games

Thank you to our Olympians and Paralympians, games-makers and other volunteers, and all in our armed services and other public services who made last year's London 2012 events so memorable.

Like many people I had the privilege of visiting our Olympic venues. I was able to obtain tickets for one morning's athletics, the men's handball final, and the Paralympics opening ceremony, all in the Olympic Park, and men's football final between Brazil and Mexico at Wembley. They were all great events. It felt good to be in London to cheer on the greatest British team ever.

Well done GB, well done the London Organising Committee, well done London.

Simon with the Olympic rings


Helping my constituents

As the MP over the last 29 years I have every week helped hundreds of local people with housing, finance, employment immigration, schools, policing, health and many other issues. I take up individual problems with government, the GLA, the local council and other bodies and was able to ask questions in parliament about the issues which my constituents raise with me.

To find out more about how I can help you, look at my work in the constituency.

I also take up wider community matters such as campaigning for the C10 bus service and to improve local postal delivery services. To have your say, please take part in my surveys and petitions.

The diverse nature of our community and the different needs and views of residents is what has made my job as a local MP so interesting and so challenging. To find out more about the area, take a look at the map of the constituency.

Olympic torch relay passing through Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Here you can see my diary and find out what I have been up to! This covers my work in Bermondsey and Old Southwark, in Parliament and campaigning with the Liberal Democrats.

With such a diverse and culturally rich constituency, I am lucky enough to be invited to many different meetings, ceremonies and events. Over the last 29 years as MP I have built ties with many groups in the area - I am always keen to strengthen these and make more.

NEWS from
Simon Hughes MP

  • Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill
    Article: May 21, 2013

    I am grateful for the many letters, emails and texts I have received from many people with an understandable variety and difference of views.

    I am posting this on my website today in the hope that it will deal with most of the questions which have been raised. Obviously, I shall write more fully to those who have written to me and where this general response does not deal with the points you raise.

  • More money available for childcare providers in Southwark
    Article: May 9, 2013

    A new £2m scheme has been launched by the Coalition Government to help boost childcare businesses and help women back into work.

    People who want to set up a nursery can apply for grants of up to £500 to help cover things such as legal and insurance costs, training, equipment and adaptations to buildings. The scheme is aimed to launch up to 6,000 new childcare businesses across England.

  • Simon Hughes comments ahead of tomorrow's Queen's Speech
    Article: May 7, 2013

    Commenting ahead of tomorrow's Queen's Speech, Simon Hughes MP said:

    This year's Queen's Speech must keep jobs, growth and a fairer society at the top of the agenda. Helping small businesses and supporting green jobs can give additional impetus to the economy. We all expect legislation to set up a new pensions system with much higher basic pensions, a new system for paying for social care for older people and new rules to prevent big firms from avoiding tax. These would all be major changes to the way Britain collects taxes and spends public money. If there is a proposed new law to sort out who is entitled to which benefits and which public services, this would be an important Bill which is well overdue. I hope that this year's Queen Speech will be widely welcomed.

  • Simon Hughes comments on the resignation of Millwall's Manager
    Article: May 7, 2013

    Commenting on Kenny Jacket's resignation as Manager of Millwall football club after six seasons at The Den, Simon Hughes said:

    "Millwall supporters owe Kenny Jackett grateful thanks for a very long and successful period at the helm. Obviously after Millwall's up and down season this year, Kenny's decision to resign is understandable. The Chairman and Board must now have the full support of all the fans as they rebuild the squad to start a strong climb up the championship in the season ahead."

  • Simon's comments on how the constituency will be affected by this month's housing benefit changes
    Article: Apr 23, 2013

    Please find below Simon's letter to the South London Press about how Bermondsey and Old Southwark will be affected by this month's housing benefit changes:

    Dear Editor,

    Your front page story last week (8th April) reported that more tenants in Bermondsey and Old Southwark will be affected by this month's housing benefit changes than in any other constituency in London, and that Southwark and Lambeth are London's worst-affected boroughs. These claims are based on work done by the National Housing Federation (NHF).

  • Simon comments to Southwark News on benefits and people with disabilities
    Article: Apr 23, 2013

    Please find below Simon's most recent letter to the Editor of Southwark News:

    Dear Editor

    Benefits and people with disabilities

    May I first pay tribute to Patrick Horan, as he retires this year from his position as leading spokesperson in our borough for people with disabilities. He has an impressive record.

  • Simon welcomes drop in unemployment in the constituency
    Article: Apr 23, 2013

    Simon Hughes welcomes the drop in unemployment in Bermondsey and Old Southwark. In the latest ONS monthly unemployment figures released last week, the number of Jobseeker Allowance (JSA) claimants is 29 lower than in March 2012 and 62 lower than in February 2013. There was also a welcome 15% drop in the number of JSA claimants aged between 18 and 24 compared to February 2012.

  • Simon Hughes pays tribute to Baroness Thatcher
    Article: Apr 16, 2013

    On 10 April 2013, Simon Hughes MP paid tribute to Baroness Thatcher in the House of Commons.

    "It is a privilege to be here today to pay tribute to Margaret Thatcher, both personally and on behalf of party colleagues and the many of my constituents who will wish to pass on their condolences, through the Prime Minister, to her family and extended family and to her close friends and all those in the Conservative party who worked with her.

  • Parliamentary exchanges between Simon Hughes and Baroness Thatcher
    Article: Apr 16, 2013

    The following transcripts highlight many of the Parliamentary exchanges between Simon Hughes MP and Baroness Thatcher:

    HC Deb 28 June 1983 vol 44 cc455-9 Q3

    Mr Hughes

    What mandate does the Prime Minister have-[HON. MEMBERS: "Reading."]-for reviving the undemocratic and unjustified practice of appointing not only one hon. Member to the other place, but the untested, untried and, for all she knows, unsuitable children of such appointees, and for reviving the practice of hereditary peerages, therefore adding yet another unjustified element to our legislature, which is supposed to be democratic?

  • Simon Hughes comments on Baroness Thatchers' death
    Article: Apr 9, 2013

    Commenting on the death of Britain's first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, Simon Hughes told the BBC:

    "I was first elected to Parliament when Mrs Thatcher was Prime Minister and opposed many of her policies, not least the abolition of the Greater London Council and the Inner London Education Authority. But however big the political differences between the Thatcher Governments and Liberals and Liberal Democrats, of course I recognise Mrs Thatcher's huge contribution. Margaret Thatcher had to sort out the economic crisis she inherited, changed the political landscape of Britain, and ended for once and all the male domination of British politics."

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