Tributes to former MP and anti-apartheid campaigner, aged 90

Tributes have been paid to a former Scottish Labour MP and antiapartheid campaigner who has died aged 90.

Bob Hughes, who served the Aberdeen North constituency for 25 years, has been described as a man who “really stood up for issues he believed in”.

Described as a “working class” politician, he served on the shadow cabinet as the shadow secretary of state for transport and was also a parliamentary undersecretary of state for Scotland.

But it was his role in railing against South Africa’s apartheid system for which he will be most fondly remembered.

From 1976 he was the chairman of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) until it was dissolved in 1995 after the ending of the racist segregation policy in South Africa.

Former Downing Street director of communications and strategy, Alastair Campbell, took to Twitter to pay tribute to Mr Hughes, who passed away after a long illness. He said: “So sad to hear that Bob Hughes has died.

“‘Former MP and Labour peer’ doesn’t get close. He was chair of the Anti-Apartheid Movement for two decades and with Mike Terry led the most influential AAM anywhere in the world.

“He never sought credit but plenty was his due.”

During his tenure as AAM chairman, the group campaigned against Margaret Thatcher’s government’s refusal to impose sanctions against South Africa.

Peter Hain, a prominent anti-apartheid campaigner and former Labour cabinet minister, said: “So sorry that Bob Hughes has died after a long illness. A giant in the freedom struggle, he led the AAM in a key period to help secure Nelson Mandela’s freedom and defeat apartheid.”

They also helped organise the 1988 Free Mandela concert.

After Nelson Mandela was freed from prison in 1990, the group continued to oversee lasting change in South Africa.

Former prime minister Tony Blair posted on Twitter: “Very sad to hear that Bob Hughes has died.

“He was a lovely, kind and exceptional man and embodied all that is best in public service.

Described as a “working class” politician, he served as MP for Aberdeen North from 1970 until 1997. And, in 1997, he was made a life peer, becoming Baron Hughes of Woodside.

Having served as a politician in the city for more than two decades, countless Aberdeen councillors had the privilege of working alongside Mr Hughes.

Former Aberdeen City Council leader, Len Ironside, said: “We worked together for many years trying to help implement changes in Aberdeen.

“One that I remember was our attempts in the early ’90s to try to get the heads of oil firms to make their base here in the city.

“He was a very laidback politician but one who was passionate about what he believed – he really understood his constituents and was very popular.”