Mick Hucknall - Politics and Philanthropy

Politics and Philanthropy

Hucknall is active in politics and is a prominent celebrity supporter of the UK Labour Party. In 1997, he declared his support for the Labour Party at that year's general election – which it won by a landslide under the leadership of Tony Blair to return to government after 18 years in opposition. In 1998 Hucknall was named in a list of those who donated more than 5,000 pounds to the party. In 2003, Hucknall backed Tony Blair’s stance on Operation Iraqi Freedom, claiming he had “more respect for Blair than ever” and pointed out that British critics of the war were lucky to be living in a country where they could express their opinions. However, he claimed in 2008 that his conscience prevented him from donating to the party again because of the war, although he would still vote for them.

Hucknall has commented that derogatory references to his red hair are a form of bigotry.

Simply Red were touring Australia in February 2009 and were due to do a concert in the Yarra Valley, on the weekend of the Black Saturday bushfires, which devastated a large area of the state of Victoria. Because of the bushfires, the concert had to be cancelled. Mick Hucknall and the band donated generously to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.