James Callaghan
In 1976, Wilson resigned suddenly and Hughes was tasked as chairman of the PLP with organizing the election of a successor. Hughes was close politically not only to Roy Jenkins but also to James Callaghan who he had first met in 1949 at the home of Glenys Kinnock's parents in Holyhead. Upon his election, James Callaghan recommended the appointment of Hughes as a Companion of Honour.