Spencer Leigh Hughes

Hughes began working life as an engineer in the firm of Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries of Ipswich[1] but went on to make his reputation as a journalist with the publication The Morning Leader, for which he wrote for many years a column under the title of 'Sub Rosa'.

His articles dealt in a light and witty fashion with current topics, political and other, and he continued writing it for some time after the Morning Leader merged with The Daily News in 1912.

[5] One of the highlights of Hughes press career was being appointed a special correspondent by the Morning Leader for the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm and the Empress Augusta to Palestine in 1898.

With the non-Labour vote split badly, the Labour candidate Pete Curran topped the poll, with the Tory, Patrick Rose-Innes second, Hughes third and Alderman John O'Hanlon, the Irish Nationalist, last.

It was the only by-election to take place between the speech made by Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, at Limehouse on 30 July 1909 and the January 1910 general election and was therefore seen as a commentary on the economic policies of the government against the background of the People's Budget.

Salter was Progressive Party member of the London County Council for Bermondsey, having replaced George Cooper in representing the seat, and was therefore regarded as a Liberal.

One historian has concluded that Hughes remained "an obscure backbencher"[15] and politically his impact may have been small but his ability to entertain and divert the House of Commons was second to none and on more than one occasion his humour in debate transformed the atmosphere of the chamber from cold, hostile and partisan, or just plain bored, to one of comradeship and laughter.

[16][17] Lloyd George described one speech as "extraordinarily brilliant" and his obituary in The Times concluded he was liked by everybody and the Press Gallery always had a warm corner in its heart for him.