The Rt Hon Simon Hart MP
Biography
Simon Hart was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip) on 25 October 2022. He was previously Secretary of State for Wales between 16 December 2019 and 6 July 2022.
He was elected Conservative MP for Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire in May 2010.
Background
Simon was born in Wolverhampton and grew up in the Cotswolds. He was educated at Radley College before attending the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.
Political career
Since being elected to Parliament, Simon has been a member of a number of committees, including:
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Welsh Affairs Select Committee;
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee;
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Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee;
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Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
Simon has also been a member/Chair of several APPGs including Tourism in Wales, Learning outside the Classroom, Marine Energy & Tidal Lagoons, EU/US Trade, and others.
He was also formerly the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Panama, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
Career outside politics
Simon 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).
Before being elected as an MP he was Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance.
Personal life
Simon lives in Pembrokeshire with his wife Abigail and their two children.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The Chief Whip is responsible for administering the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote in Parliament as the party leadership desires.
Whips are MPs or Lords appointed by each party in Parliament to help organise their party’s contribution to parliamentary business. One of their responsibilities is making sure the maximum number of their party members vote, and vote the way their party wants.
Other whip duties
Whips frequently act as tellers (counting votes in divisions). They also manage the pairing system whereby Members of opposing parties both agree not to vote when other business (such as a select committee visit) prevents them from being present at Westminster.
Whips are also largely responsible (together with the Leader of the House in the Commons) for arranging the business of Parliament. In this role they are frequently referred to as ‘the usual channels’.
Previous roles in government
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Member, Committee on Standards in Public Life