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 MP resigned, she wore a brooch that featured the words “rocking the boat” which was exactly what she was doing at the time, resigning just a day before the local 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 news that was reported in the top newspapers, news channels and radio programmes, has proven to be extremely good. The man that it’s effected so much is Nick Hubbard, the designer of the brooch.

I don’t think Mr Hubbard would have ever have thought that a piece of his jewellery would ever be analysed so much in the news, newspapers and radio. The entire incident with the brooch has turned out to give Mr Hubbard a huge amount of free publicity that any PR company could dream of.

Mr Hubbard is based in Staffordshire where he runs his own business with his wife Jean. Mr Hubbard creates all his jewellery by hand using local materials and classic methods. As for the brooch in question, it’s a piece of silver jewellery made from oxidized silver, gold and hand painted details. The brooch features a cat and a dog sitting in a boat on the sea, surrounded by the words “rocking the boat”. There is a small lever on the right hand side of the brooch that, when triggered, rocks the pair inside the boat.

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. Spanning his 30 year career, Mr Hubbard has sold items of jewellery to Jill Murphy, Virginia McKenna, Frances De La Tour, Roddy Doyle, Sue Townsend, Alison Weir and Nicholas Hytner.

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