Thursday, December 09, 2010

What is the Point of Simon Hughes?

What exactly is the point of Simon Hughes? Is he just a giant conscience on a stick?

Discuss.

28 comments:

Unsworth said...

Conscience? Hardly. Giant ego on a stick is more like it.

Richard Manns said...

Henry Asquith Mk II?

Without the diplomacy, but more destruction?

Unknown said...

the point of Simon Hughes is to act as an operationalisation of the concept of 'total dickhead': he's just a thought experiment come to life

Anonymous said...

The main point of Simon Hughes is to annoy all rational, sentient and pleasant human beings. Then having annoyed them he makes them angry following which their anger turns to apoplexy. Luckily the next phase is to relax into the realisation that he is a disloyal cock who is not nearly as claver as he thinks he is.

I still cannot get beyond his original election in Bermondsey when he beat Peter Tatchell with his (as it turns out breathtakingly hypocritical and) deeply unpleasant 'which Queen are you voting for' slogan. Whilst I disagree with Tatchell's politics absolutely I admire him as a very brace and principled man. Oh, the exact opposite of Simon Hughes then, the self-regarding ....... you get my drift.

Hmmm, there is no point to Simon Hughes.

Unknown said...

I think most people think he's the one who fancied Ruth Madoc's character in Hi-de-hi.

Rusty Liberal said...

Perhaps the point of Simon Hughes is to represent his constituents? If any of you had lived in his constituency for the past 27 years you would be well aware of the dedication and hard work he engages in on behalf of everyone, often to his own cost both in terms of his personal safety and financially. The sheer amount of casework that Southwark and Old Bermondsey creates would shock most people, particularly those of us who reside in the leafy suburbs. I advise all those who engage in fatuous or boorish criticisms of Simon Hughes to go and spend a day with him in his constituency. Maybe then you will be less quick to be quite so flippant.

Unknown said...

Surely the LibDems are flagellating themselves enough over this. They don't need the rest of us putting the boot in viciously.

Don't make it too uncomfortable for them though or they'll have an attack of conscience and decide that they can't maintain both their integrity and support for the coalition. I couldn't stand another general election so soon with all the nauseating hoopla that goes with it.

Thorpe said...

I think he's tremendously good value. He epitomises for me everything I loathe about the Liberal Democrats.

A liar.
A person of no principle.
A hypocrite.

It would be tremendously ungallant of me to hope that he acquires cancer of the rectum and dies in Godawful pain, so I won't.

Simon Harley said...

"Conscience on a stick." i.e. a parasite?

Maverick Ways said...

He is the conscience of the Dribble Lemoncrats as the Ex-Leader, New Divorcee once tried to say.

http://fxbites.blogspot.com/2010/12/promises-promises.html

Unknown said...

Brilliant Iain.

As so often, less is more. "What is the point of Simon Hughes?" Beats me.

And, whilst we are on the subject, why is he not being thrown out of the H of C for the disreputable way he and his party treated Peter Tatchell in that famous Bermondsey election? Probably out of time.

The man's a supercilious, hypocritical toady.

Anonymous said...

We clearly need to give the LDs the points they need to make. Like they have got the coalition to put up tax allowances to £10K.

When the beneficiaries of this get it in 4 years time - will they say 'no I don't want it, give it to the poor poor students'? NO.

And who else will get it - why the students who can pass it on towards their loans.

But essentially the LDs set themselves up as patsies for a wave of violent left wing protest - this was the first object that came along, there will be others but the thugs may not get a thick compliant student movement to be their front.

JMB said...

What is the point of any of the Liberals who voted against the bill today. They want to continue as a party that passes resolutions that they know will never be tested so they can promise anything they want. They do not want to ever get into government.

Mirtha Tidville said...

A very good question Iain...the answer to which completely eludes me

Matt said...

Many years ago, I met Simon Hughes at an Ecology Party Conference.

He was looking at joining the Ecology Party but said something to the effect of: "I am a green and I would like to join the Ecology Party, but I want to become an MP, so I will have to join the Liberal Democrats."

I thought at the time that showed a lack of moral fibre.

He's done nothing to change my view of him in the years since then. A view shared by many of us who were at the meeting. Caroline Lucas could have done the same thing, but she didn't. Say what you like about MS Lucas, but at least she has been consistent.

Anonymous said...

@Lib Dan

Simon Hughes is a pillock. A self serving moron.

Libertarian said...

@Lib Dan 1975

Oh please....I think you will find quite a lot of people have worked in a lot harder, more dangerous places for a lot longer than Hughes for a lot less recognition and money. Sarf Landon for Chrissakes, it's hardly Iraq, The Falkland, Helmand is it?

Stop grizzling. Thank your lucky stars its not you that has to carry out the dirty work sanctioned by a lot of self serving, corrupt, intellectually and morally bankrupt politicians

Boris Backer said...

Please can we name and shame this lout: http://bit.ly/f6ePWN

Ian said...

Whatever his faults (and he has them), I admire Simon Hughes tremendously for his work in the Jamie Robe murder case where he was at grave personal risk and required armed police protection 24/7 when he took the lead in ensuring the killers were banged up. How many other MP's would have done the same?

Cynic said...

"I think most people think he's the one who fancied Ruth Madoc's character in Hi-de-hi"




.... so did I

Lord Blagger said...

Mr Hughes who can't make up his mind on anything. Men, women, how many times to claim for the same laptops ...

Lord Blagger said...

Mr Hughes who can't make up his mind on anything. Men, women, how many times to claim for the same laptops ...

Colin said...

Simon Hughes - all the attributes of a dog, except loyalty.

Anonymous said...

From what I saw on QT I have to say I thought Norman Lamb (yes I know Iain, HIM) stood up very well. Most of the audience were not interested in listening of course.

And Sadiq Khan looked useless. if he is rEd's advisor then he is in big trouble.

DespairingLiberal said...

For once I agree with you Trevorsden - given a choice between the laughably shifty Hughes and the odiously twisty Sadiq Khan, I must regretfully choose Hughes. But it's a close thing.

I do wonder though how this is going to rebound on the LibDem vote - can anyone really take anything they say in their manifesto seriously ever again? Not that many did before, but will even LibDem party activists believe a word of it when they go door knocking next time around?

Stephen Wigmore said...

I think Simon Hughes has done a very good job recently. He has resolutely defended the Coalition from the left-Lib Dem perspective. In fact I have seen him on TV defending the coalition almost more than any other Coalition MP. He has the credibility to go in and defend the Coalition on wickets others could not and has done it very well. It is damn useful to have a left-LibDem actually in favour of the coalition, it gives balance to the government, and it is far better than the rest of them who are essentially inside pissing in.

Unknown said...

Really, it is to show how miserable you can look on TV.

Neil Ward said...

I remember when Hughes first entered Westminster. He was considered energetic, dynamic and a new dawn for the Liberals. So what went wrong Simon ???