Simon Hart

Born in Wolverhampton, Simon Hart was educated at Radley College and studied at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. On finishing his education, he moved to Wales where he worked as a chartered surveyor and served with the Territorial Army for five years. Hart was Master of the South Pembrokeshire Hunt for 10 years, an interest he pursued by becoming CEO of the pro-hunting organisation the Countryside Alliance, a position he held for seven years. Hart’s pro-fox hunting and badger culling beliefs have encompassed criticism of the RSPCA’s “political and commercial interests”. Following his election, he joined the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee and later joined the Welsh Affairs Committee, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and the Committee on Privileges. He was a member of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee from 2017 to 2019 and also served on its sub-committee on disinformation. Hart backed Remain in the 2016 referendum and acknowledged in April 2019 that a public vote might be needed on Brexit. Nevertheless, he backed both Theresa May’s and Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreements and helped found the Brexit Delivery Group, aiming for a negotiated deal. In the Conservative Party leadership contest of 2019, he backed Boris Johnson and was appointed as the minister for implementation in the Cabinet Office that year. During the 2019 election, Hart called for an end to abusive politics, citing a defaced placard from 2017’s election campaign. However, some commentators noted two additional swastikas on the placard, placing Hart under suspicion. Nevertheless, he more than doubled his majority in the 2019 general election and shortly after joined the Cabinet as Welsh secretary. The same year, it was revealed that Hart was the Welsh MP with the highest expenses claims, namely for first class rail tickets.