Hughes on a political path from early age

Darren Hughes, pictured in 2002, first became an MP aged just 24. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Darren Hughes once admitted regret that he never did his big OE. He might just have time for it now, following his resignation as a Labour MP.

Mr Hughes became an MP at just 24, making him the youngest MP for the two terms he held the Otaki seat.

He had the smallest majority of any MP in the 2005 election, with just 382 votes more than National MP Nathan Guy, before losing the seat to Mr Guy in 2008 by 1354 votes.

Mr Hughes was whip in Helen Clark's government from the age of 25, before becoming statistics minister and associate social development and employment minister four years later. He was also deputy leader of the House.

His resignation today follows publicity this week over a police investigation into an alleged sexual incident at Labour deputy leader Annette King's Wellington home, where Mr Hughes boards, after he had been drinking at two bars with a group of students, including the complainant.

The student left the home and is reported to have either flagged down a police car or walked into its path.

It was then he made the complaint.

Mr Goff yesterday stripped Mr Hughes from his roles as education spokesman and chief party whip, pending the outcome of the police inquiry.

Today, Mr Hughes said his position had become "untenable" and that the adage of being innocent until proven guilty "doesn't apply in the political arena".

"I have done nothing wrong, and I remain confident that the legal process will have the right outcome," he said.

The fall from grace will be particularly hard for Mr Hughes, who has had only one job outside of politics - and that was a brief stint as a public servant with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

"I always knew I wanted to be the local MP for my area. I didn't want to just be an MP, I wanted to represent my home patch. That's pretty important to me," he told NZPA in 2004.

Mr Hughes is the oldest of Lyn and Jim Hughes' five children and set his sights on politics while still at school.

His only regret is that he didn't do an OE. But he consoled himself with the knowledge that he was living his dream, and kept his feet on the ground by socialising with friends.

"If I'm going to be in here for the long haul you've got to keep that balance in your life and as a result you've got to make time to socialise and keep in touch with people outside this place," he told NZPA.

- NZPA