Stephen Hughes, Labour Member of the European Parliament for the North East region has announced he will not be standing at the European elections in 2014 after 30 years service.
Stephen Hughes said: “It has been an absolute privilege for me to represent the people of the North East in the European Parliament. I have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the region’s hardworking, community-minded people in the face of massive economic, political and social challenges during that time. I have worked hard to find ways of supporting communities through the best and worst of times since 1984 by promoting European actions and funding that aided the coalfield communities, shipbuilding and maritime areas and provided much needed investment in infrastructure and training and employment opportunities.”
His cause has always been to improve the quality of life of working people, he can look back on his career with an enormous sense of pride and achievement, it is difficult to think of another individual politician who recently has had such a positive, meaningful and long- lasting impact.
Fr. John Caden, Catholic Priest in Sedgefield, Alderman of Durham County Council said: “Stephen is a North East lad of integrity and great conviction. He is a keen advocate of social justice and has been a champion for the marginalised and vulnerable at home and abroad. I had the honour of representing our region in Europe on the Pensioners Parliament and saw then the high esteem in which Stephen Hughes is held by his colleagues from across the EU. Stephen has been and continues to be a credit to this region and to our nation as Member of the European Parliament.”
