Sally-Ann Hart

Sally-Ann Hart succeeded Amber Rudd as the MP for Hastings and Rye after the former cabinet minister decided not to stand. Hailing from the North East, Hart studied law and worked as a corporate solicitor and magistrate in Hastings for 15 years. Her political career began in 2015 when she was elected as a Rother District councillor for Eastern Rother ward. She stood as Conservative candidate for North West Durham in the 2017 general election but came second; she won Rudd’s former seat in 2019, greatly increasing the Conservative majority. Hart drew controversy during her 2019 campaign when it emerged she had liked or shared several social media posts that were seen as being anti-semitic and Islamophobic, as well as suggesting that people with learning difficulties should not be guaranteed minimum wage. The Conservative party launched an inquiry into Hart’s conduct but she has since taken the Conservative whip. Hart currently sits on the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union, the Scottish Affairs Committee and the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art. She is vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Special Educational Needs and Disability.