Career
Hobden was a postal and telegraph worker who became an officer in the Union of Post Office Workers. Before being selected to contest the Brighton Kemptown seat he had been Chairman of the local Constituency Labour Party. In 1964 Hobden was elected Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown by a margin of seven votes, defeating incumbent David James and becoming the first Labour Member of Parliament for a Sussex constituency.
He was re-elected in 1966 but lost his seat in 1970 to the Conservative Andrew Bowden.
In 1974, Hobden attempted to regain the seat in both the February and October general elections, but was unsuccessful.