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Simon Hart

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The Right Honourable
Simon Hart
Official portrait, 2022
Chief Whip of the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office
25 October 2022 – 5 July 2024
Prime MinisterRishi Sunak
Preceded byWendy Morton
Succeeded byAlan Campbell
Secretary of State for Wales
In office
16 December 2019 – 6 July 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byAlun Cairns
Succeeded byRobert Buckland
Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office
In office
24 July 2019 – 16 December 2019
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byOliver Dowden
Succeeded byJeremy Quin
Member of Parliament
for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byNick Ainger
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born
Simon Anthony Hart

(1963-08-15) 15 August 1963 (age 61)
Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseAbigail Kate Hart[1]
Residence(s)Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Alma materRoyal Agricultural College
Websitewww.simon-hart.com

Simon Anthony Hart (born 15 August 1963)[2][3] is a British Conservative politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire from 2010 to 2024. He served as the Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from October 2022 to July 2024.[4] He previously served as Secretary of State for Wales in the Johnson government from 2019 to 2022.

After Boris Johnson was elected as Conservative leader and appointed prime minister, Hart was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office in July 2019. In December 2019, during the formation of the second Johnson ministry, Hart was promoted to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales, succeeding Alun Cairns who had resigned from the position the previous month. In July 2022, he returned to the backbenches after resigning as Welsh Secretary amid a government crisis that culminated in Johnson's resignation. In October 2022, he was appointed Chief Whip by new prime minister Rishi Sunak. His seat was abolished in the boundary changes.[5] He stood for the new seat of Caerfyrddin in the 2024 general election, but lost.[6]

Early life and career

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Simon Hart was born on 15 August 1963 in Wolverhampton and grew up in the Cotswolds. He was privately educated at Radley College before attending the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.[7] He worked as a chartered surveyor in Carmarthen and Haverfordwest and served with the Territorial Army for five years in the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (part of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry).

Hart was Master and Huntsman of the South Pembrokeshire Hunt from 1988 to 1999. He was director of the Campaign for Hunting (fox hunting) from 1999 to 2003. He was the chief executive of the Countryside Alliance from 2003 to 2010, and later its chairman from 2015 to 2019.[8]

Parliamentary career

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At the 2010 general election, Hart was elected as MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, winning with 41.1% of the vote and a majority of 3,423.[9][10]

Hart is an outspoken supporter of fox hunting and the badger cull. In January 2013, Hart said the RSPCA's legal role needs more oversight given its "political and commercial activities" in a critique of the charity's role lobbying against fox hunting.[11] He actively campaigned in May 2013 to overturn the 2004 Hunting Bill and assist the National Farmers Union of England and Wales.[12]

Hart was re-elected as MP for Carmathen West and South Pembrokeshire at the 2015 general election with an increased vote share of 43.7% and an increased majority of 6,054.[13][14][15]

Despite voting Remain in the 2016 European Union referendum,[16] Hart has consistently argued that the result must be honoured and the UK must leave the EU. He helped form and lead the Brexit Delivery Group, a group of 51 MPs who argued for a negotiated exit from the EU.[17]

At the snap 2017 general election Hart was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 46.8% and a decreased majority of 3,110.[18][19]

In June 2017 Hart faced questions over breaches of the code of conduct and was being investigated over an alleged breach of paragraph 15.[20][21] He was later cleared.[22]

In August 2018, Hart accused actress Maxine Peake of hypocrisy, for 'taking money from the NHS for work on an advertisement, whilst attacking the Government for lack of investment in the NHS'. Peake responded that the fee came from an advertising agency and would not have gone back to the NHS if she had returned it, and she had donated the fee to The Salford Foundation Trust children's charity regardless.[23]

On 27 July 2019, in Boris Johnson's administration, he was promoted to Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office, with responsibility for policy implementation.[24] He replaced fellow Conservative Oliver Dowden and stood down as Chairman of the Countryside Alliance.[25]

In the run-up to the 2019 general election, Hart shared an image of a campaign placard which had been defaced during the 2017 general election. Referencing the levels of "abuse … vitriol and intimidation" to which candidates had been subjected in 2017, Hart used a Facebook post to call for high standards of conduct among candidates, a subject on which he says he has worked to find cross-party solutions since the 2017 election.[26] However, during the 2019 election campaign, the same sign was shown to have two swastikas newly added, putting Hart under suspicion. The Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Christina Rees, asked Hart "did you deface your own signs with swastikas for personal electoral gain? If not, explain how they came to be there. Because right now there appears to be no other rational explanation."[27]

At the 2019 general election, Hart was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 52.7% and an increased majority of 7,745.[28][29]

Hart has served on the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee, Welsh Affairs Select Committee, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Commons Select Committee on Standards and Commons Select Committee of Privileges.[30]

Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Hart's constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire was abolished, and replaced with Caerfyrddin. In June 2024, Hart was selected as the Conservative candidate for Caerfyddin at the 2024 general election.[31]

Welsh Secretary

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Following the 2019 general election, Hart was appointed Secretary of State for Wales by Prime Minister Boris Johnson,[32] replacing Alun Cairns.[33]

On 22 April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he became the second minister to speak in the Commons chamber via remote video link, answering a question from Marco Longhi, the Conservative MP for Dudley North, who also spoke remotely.[34][35]

On 6 July 2022, Hart resigned from government in the wake of widespread criticism of Boris Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal, following the earlier resignations of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid.[36]

Chief Whip

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See also: Sunak ministry

Hart was appointed Chief Whip of the Conservative Party by Rishi Sunak on 25 October 2022.

Personal life

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Hart lives in Pembrokeshire with his wife Abigail. He has two adult children.[37]

References

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  1. ^ Commons, House of. "House of Commons – The Register of Members' Financial Interests – Part 2: Part 2". www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  2. ^ "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8746.
  3. ^ Hart, Simon Anthony. 1 December 2012. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U4000714.
  4. ^ "Ministerial Appointments commencing: 25 October 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire is a former constituency". UK Parliament. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  6. ^ James, Rhiannon (5 July 2024). "Plaid Cymru swipes two Tory seats, ousting former chief whip Simon Hart". The Independent. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Simon Hart". Telegraph.co.uk UK Political Database. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Hart, Rt Hon. Simon (Anthony), (born 15 Aug. 1963), PC 2019; MP (C) Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South, since 2010; Secretary of State for Wales, since 2019". Who's Who 2021. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire BBC Election 2010 - Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South
  11. ^ Mason, Rowena (29 January 2013). "RSPCA anti-hunting lawsuits driven by 'animal rights ideology'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  12. ^ "NFU Cymru members express concern for future of the dairy industry to local MP" (Press release). NFU Cymru. 24 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Pembrokeshire results". Election Results. Pembrokeshire County Council. Archived from the original on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire parliamentary constituency - Election 2015" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  16. ^ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. London. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  17. ^ Payne, Sebastian; Tilford, Cale; Stabe, Martin (28 March 2019). "The Conservative party's Brexit tribes: an interactive guide". Financial Times. London. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  18. ^ "Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  19. ^ "Parliamentary General Election 2017" (PDF). Carmarthen County Council. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Two MPs face code of conduct probes". BBC News. 26 June 2017.
  21. ^ Williamson, David (3 July 2017). "A Welsh MP was investigated for 'wrongly using an envelope'". Wales Online.
  22. ^ Williamson, David (3 July 2017). "A Welsh MP was investigated for 'wrongly using an envelope'". Wales Online. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  23. ^ "Maxine Peake: Actress hits back over NHS ad 'hypocrisy' claim". BBC News. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Simon Hart MP – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  25. ^ Martin, Rachel (1 August 2019). "Countryside Alliance chairman stands down amid Cabinet Office appointment". Agri Land. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  26. ^ Priddy, Sarah; Johnston, Neil (17 May 2019). "Intimidation in public life". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  27. ^ Cockburn, Harry (29 November 2019). "Tory MP accused of adding swastika graffiti to his own election placard to get sympathy". The Independent. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  28. ^ "Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  29. ^ "Parliamentary General Election 2019" (PDF). Carmarthen County Council. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  30. ^ "Simon Hart MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  31. ^ "Election of Member of Parliament to UK Parliament - Carmarthen Constituency - Notice of Poll and Persons Nominated" (PDF). Carmarthenshire County Council. 7 June 2024.
  32. ^ "Simon Hart appointed new Welsh secretary". BBC News. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  33. ^ Hemming, Jez (6 November 2019). "Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns resigns over rape trial collapse scandal". North Wales Live. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  34. ^ Poole, Danielle. "Marco Longhi MP makes history by asking first question in virtual Parliament". Worcester News. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  35. ^ "Welsh minister attacks Raab over target comments". BBC News. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  36. ^ "Welsh Secretary Simon Hart resigns from UK Government - 'no other option left'". Nation.Cymru. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  37. ^ "MP website". GOV.UK. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Simon Hart.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
2010–2024 		Constituency abolished
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State for Wales
2019–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Whip of the House of Commons
2022–2024 		Succeeded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
2022–2024
Party political offices
Preceded by
Wendy Morton
 Conservative Chief Whip of the House of Commons
2022–2024 		Succeeded by
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