Former Minister Sir Simon Hughes joins UK Trade and Business Commission
Former Government Minister and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Simon Hughes, has joined the cross-party, cross-industry UK Trade and Business Commission.
An MP from 1983-2015, Sir Simon Hughes was elected Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in 2010, subsequently becoming Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties. Prior to this, he was President of the Liberal Democrat Party, overseeing three leaders during his tenure.
Sir Simon currently serves as Chancellor of South Bank University, as well as being External Advisor to The Open University and a member of the independent Life Long Learning Commission.
Sir Simon’s appointment comes as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that Britain will slump into a recession in the first half of 2024 while Bloomberg has reported that the UK’s post-Brexit trading environment is costing the UK £100bn per year in lost output.
Sir Simon Hughes, Chancellor of London South Bank University, newly appointed commissioner on the UK Trade and Business Commission, said:
“The UK Trade and Business Commission is a cross-party group focused on the aim of enhancing the British economy, an incredibly important task given the current post-Brexit, post-Covid climate.
“At a time when the UK economy is facing significant challenges, I am very pleased to be appointed a commissioner. As a representative here of the university sector, in particular I will seek to bring a higher education perspective to work with other commissioners to improve conditions for all businesses in the UK”.
Peter Norris, Co-convener of the UK Trade and Business Commission, said:
“Simon will bring a wealth of knowledge to the UK Trade and Business Commission, including his expertise in policy-making.
“Simon has been an influential figure in British politics and this experience will be extremely valuable as we seek to enhance opportunities for business and support small and medium sized enterprises across the UK.”
