On Thursday 15th October, 2020, former Chief Minister, the Honourable Hubert Benjamin Hughes, celebrated his 87th birthday. It was indeed a momentous occasion. The Government of Anguilla and the people of the Road South Constituency collaborated in ensuring that Mr Hughes’ milestone was meaningfully celebrated. The celebration began with a short, but tasteful road naming ceremony, where a road in South Hill was named the Hubert Benjamin Hughes Drive in his honour. This was followed by a larger and more elaborate celebration, where Mr Hughes and his beloved wife Teacher Norma were seated on white thrones trimmed with gold — while many officials and other persons paid tribute in speech, song and other artistic presentations. Knowing that Mr Hughes has been having some health challenges, it was indeed heartwarming to see him get his flowers while he can enjoy them.
If I believed in gambling, I would bet that Mr Hughes will outlive many of the younger people gathered to celebrate his 87th year. As I reflect on his life, I am reminded of an editorial I penned back in 2013, when then Chief Minister Hughes was involved in a motor vehicle accident.
“…When I heard the news that our Honourable Chief Minister had been involved in a motor vehicle accident, my heart leapt in my chest. It seems this was the reaction of our entire citizenry many of whom rushed to George Hill, or to the hospital, to ascertain the wellbeing of our leader. Thankfully, our fears were allayed when we realised that the Chief Minister was still talking. If this was not the case, we would have known right away that his prognosis was grim. A few days later, we learnt that our Chief Minister was travelling overseas for further medical attention in relation to internal injuries sustained in the accident. Again, our country was deeply concerned. However, it did not take long before our Chief Minister was on the airwaves indicating to the public that apart from a fractured rib he was given a clean bill of health. According to him, the doctors were so impressed with the state of his general health that they said he could live for another fifty years! Knowing our Chief Minister, we can be assured that this means that he is contemplating extending his political career accordingly.
Whether as Chief Minister, or simply as an elected member of the Anguilla House of Assembly, the Honourable Hubert Hughes has been, is and will for time to come be a prominent figure in Anguilla’s politics. There are several characteristics for which Mr Hughes is renowned and which any other politician would find hard to emulate. Firstly, Mr Hughes is a lengthy orator. In relation to any matter being debated in the House, we are almost guaranteed that Mr Hughes will speak on it, and around it, extensively. He will exhaust every possible perspective from which the matter could be examined. Whether we appreciate his style or not, we will agree that no-one can bring length and breadth to debate like Mr Hughes.
Secondly, Mr Hughes always has a historical perspective. Regardless of the occasion or the venue, once Mr Hughes speaks it is very likely that he will give some historical insight regarding his topic. Whether his references are to recent history, or ancient history, he will be clear in communicating his perspective on the period in history about which he is speaking. He therefore brings to debates not only the benefit of his experiences as a politician and a businessman, but a readiness to remind us of the historical factors that contributed to the issue under consideration.
Thirdly, Mr Hughes has an aggressive style of leadership. Depending on the circumstances, this is an important attribute. He is outspoken on every issue and, whether we agree or not, he will ensure that his position (including his likes and dislikes) is unequivocally communicated. However, in doing so, he may ruffle feathers, stomp on egos, smear personalities and incite insurrection. His style gives the appearance that he is in constant combat mode which may or may not be a good thing depending on the lens through which it is examined.
I often wonder whether our Chief Minister has thought about what kind of legacy he wants leave when he retires from active politics many years from now…”
If we ask ourselves what has been the legacy of the Honourable Hubert Hughes, former Chief Minister, I am sure our responses will be quite varied depending on our perspectives of him as a leader. However, what is undeniable is that Mr Hughes was and is an independent thinker, a non-conformist, an anti-colonialist, a believer in prudent fiscal spending and an advocate for fairness and justice. Additionally, if we were to judge his legacy from our observations of his children, we would say his legacy is one of hard work, industriousness and service to others. It is my hope that Mr Hughes will continue to enjoy his retirement from politics for many more years and that we will all be around to join in his centennial celebration.
