Darren Colyn Hughes (born 3 April 1978) is a New Zealand former Member of Parliament between 2002 and 2011, first elected at the age of 24.

In 2011, Hughes resigned from Parliament and in 2012, he relocated to the United Kingdom to become the Campaigns and Research Director of the Electoral Reform Society.

[2] Hughes attended Coley Street Primary School in Foxton, St Josephs and then Horowhenua College in Levin.

Hughes was quoted as saying he wanted politicians to "put aside their party differences and work together on issues of road safety".

[13] Hughes's time as an MP ended abruptly in March 2011 after a young man laid a police complaint of a sexual nature against him.

Labour leader Phil Goff, who had known about the complaint for two weeks,[21] initially refused the resignation[22] but changed his mind a day later.

Although people are commonly thought to be innocent until proven guilty, it has become clear to me that this doesn't apply in the political arena.

[17] Over three months after the original incident, on 8 June, the Police announced that they did not have enough evidence to press charges against Hughes.

[19] The roles that Hughes had filled for the Labour opposition went to Sue Moroney, David Shearer and Rick Barker.

Moroney took over the education portfolio, with specific responsibility for primary and secondary schooling, and joined the party's front bench.

[29] With Hughes not running for re-election, Labour named Raumati lawyer Peter Foster as their Otaki electorate candidate for 2011.

The ERS is a civil society organisation striving to make British democracy fit for the 21st century.

Since joining the ERS in 2012, Hughes has been responsible for driving the Society's campaigns and research priorities.

Under the leadership of Hughes and former Chief Executive Katie Ghose, the Electoral Reform Society has broadened its remit beyond its traditional focus on voting systems, to promote other issues that are vital to the health of British democracy.