An Evening with the Rt Hon Sir Simon Hughes PC

Politics, The Commonwealth and The Future of Education after Compulsory Schooling

Date: Wednesday 29 June 2016 | Time: 17:45 to 19:00, followed by a network reception with refreshments from 19:00 to 19:45

Venue: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Room, Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster

Simon Hughes was one of the three Parliamentary Chairs of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth from 1989 to 2015 when he lost his Parliamentary seat. He succeeded David Alton (Liberal Democrat) as our Chair and has now been succeeded in turn by Mark Williams, the LD Member for Ceredigion.

Simon is the longest-ever serving Parliamentary Chair of the Council from any of the Parliamentary parties in its whole 57-year history.  In his period of office he chaired both public meetings of the Council in Parliament, and meetings of the Executive and AGM's on numerous occasions; as well as leading delegations to Ministers and putting questions to Ministers about developments in Commonwealth educational co-operation. He has been a constant source of helpful advice.

This evening's programme has accordingly been arranged both to enable Members and friends to benefit from Simon's special insights into the interface between political life, the Commonwealth and education - with special reference to the current challenges facing post-school education - and also to put on record our appreciation of the unique contribution he has made to our work over an extended period.

Rt Hon Sir Simon Hughes PC was Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Bermondsey and Old Southwark from 1983 to 2015. He is former President of the Liberal Democrats and was Deputy Leader of the Party from 2010 to 2014.

He served as Minister of State for Justice and Civil liberties in the Coalition Government from 2013 to 2015.  He was knighted in 2015.

Simon graduated in law from Cambridge and was called to the bar in 1974.

He is currently Head of Public Affairs at The Open University on a year's contract providing maternity cover.  He leads the university’s public affairs team, which forms part of the Communications Unit at the OU.

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