Nick Hubbard benefits from Hazel Blears’ Political Statement

July 8th, 2009 at 4:38am

Hazel Blears has recently had her fashion choices in the news ever since her decision to resign just a day before the local elections. The piece that has caused all the stories was her brooch.

When the former Community Secretary gave up her job, she wore a brooch that featured the words “rocking the boat” which was precisely what she was doing at the time of her resignation, just a day before the local and European elections. This is why it has become such a news story simply because, was she aware that she was wearing an item that would make such a political statement, and if she was, was her resignation a direct challenge to Gordon Brown.

For one man, this bit of political publicity has proven to be very good for him. That man is Nick Hubbard, the designer of Hazel Blears’ brooch.

Mr Hubbard is the designer of the brooch and I don’t think would have ever imagined that one of his pieces of jewellery would be such a big story in the eyes of the press. Every PR firm dreams to get the same amount of free publicity that Mr Hubbard has received from the entire brooch incident.

Mr Hubbard creates all his jewellery alongside his wife Jean as part of their business from their studio in the Staffordshire countryside. Mr Hubbard uses materials that are local to his business aswell as traditional methods of creating his own jewellery. As for the brooch in question, it’s a piece of silver jewellery made from oxidized silver, gold and hand painted details. It features a cat and a dog sitting in a small boat with the words “rocking the boat” around the edge. The brooch features a small lever on the side which, when triggerd, makes the boat rock from side to side.

Mr Hubbard doesn’t believe that she was unaware of the political statement that the jewellery suggested: “I think her intentions were clear”, and really, if she didn’t want to create a statement, she could have worn a different piece, like some amethst jewellery.

Mr Hubbard has had a number of well known people, not just Hzel Blears, wearing his items. Jill Murphy, Virginia McKenna, Frances De La Tour, Roddy Doyle, Sue Townsend, Alison Weir and Nicholas Hytner are just a few of the well known people who have bought a piece of Mr Hubbards jewellery over his 30 year career.