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Watch: Welsh secretary Simon Hart’s ‘car crash’ interview

14 Apr 2022 3 minute read
Simon Hart being interviewed by Kay Burley on Sky News (Credit: Sky)

Welsh secretary Simon Hart MP didn’t enjoy the most auspicious moment of his career during today’s Sky News appearance with Kay Burley.

In fact many political pundits described it as ‘a car crash’.

In an exchange with the broadcaster about the fines issued to Downing Street, the Conservative MP appeared confused about how many fines had exactly been issued.

When pressed on the fact the Prime Minister is overseeing 50 breaches of the law being broken, Mr Hart said: “You know more about this than me, I don’t know where you got 50 from…

Burley replied: “From the police…” Before the Sky News presenter added: “Because 50 notices have already been issued. So, 50 times somebody has broken the law in Downing Street.”

In the same interview, Mr Hart also denied that Boris Johnson had deliberately misled people with his initial denials that he had attended any parties during lockdown.

“I know it always makes everybody frustrated. There is a difference between misleading and deliberately misleading.

“We heard all of that with Tony Blair and the Iraq War, if you remember, weapons of mass destruction? And the suggestion was at the time that he had misled Parliament.

“That was the suggestion and the argument was all around whether it was deliberate or whether it was accidental.”

Principle

In an interview with Times Radio today, the Welsh Secretary said he doesn’t think the Prime Minister should resign even if he receives multiple fines as a result of the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Hillman probe into the series of parties that were held in Downing Street during the Covid lockdown.

Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak were all issued with fines on Tuesday relating to a gathering in the Cabinet Room on 19 June 2020 to mark Mr Johnson’s 56th birthday.

Multiple newspapers have carried reports suggesting the Prime Minister could receive further fixed penalty notices.

Simon Hart photo by Chris McAndrew (CC BY 3.0). Boris Johnson. Picture by Cancillería Argentina (CC BY 2.0).

Downing Street sources said they were awaiting the outcome of the ongoing Scotland Yard inquiry after Mr Johnson conceded more fines could follow, having reportedly attended six of the 12 events under investigation.

Mr Hart told Times Radio: “I don’t necessarily see the difference between one or two (fines), for example, the principle is the same.

“I personally don’t think that for people in public life – or any other walk of life, for that matter – that should necessarily be accompanied by another penalty, which is the removal of your job or similar.”


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Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

Ill informed as ever yet always keen and ready to attempt to put a less turdish shine on the crimes and misdemeanors of his sociopathic lying associates.
Ho hum – what did you expect?

Gareth Cemlyn Jones
Gareth Cemlyn Jones
2 years ago

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer! I guess he feels the ‘colonial governor’ should support his mentor through all his tribulations.

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
2 years ago

There are more honest and honourable politicians working in the Kremlin, than this lowlife slug.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

I just do not understand why people like this, go on live TV and humiliate themselves , in front of millions, make themselves look like clueless idiots, just to defend a criminal, who is also a compulsive liar. Self respect and dignity are alien to these people. Shocking behaviour.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

I always thought John Redwood was the worst Welsh Secretary. I was wrong. Simon Hart is an embarrassment to Wales and the sooner voters remove this Anglicised clown the better!

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

He should go on tour on the ‘wooden horse’ around south west Wales when next in town…dear, dear…

Last edited 2 years ago by Mab Meirion
John
John
2 years ago

Arglwydd mawr mae hwn yn dwp!

Rob
Rob
2 years ago

Quote…..“We heard all of that with Tony Blair and the Iraq War, if you remember, weapons of mass destruction? And the suggestion was at the time that he had misled Parliament.”

Yes and the tories voted for the war, so spare us the ‘whataboutisms’ rubbish. We all now that if a Labour Prime Minister had broken the rules, Simon Hart would be calling for his head.

If you live in South Pembrokeshire please vote this guy out!!

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob

Ten years ago around 30-40% of his voters were born in England. Probably more since then.

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
2 years ago

Like a worm on a hook.

Cai Wogan Jones
Cai Wogan Jones
2 years ago

Hart’s Kremlin paymasters call them “filtration camps”.

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
2 years ago

Johnson, Hart et al: living breathing proof that you can in fact polish a turd.

George
George
2 years ago

Tories stand for winning elections above all else which is why they tap into the majorities fears and sense of cruelty so often, why they’re so willing to sacrifice any sense of self-respect individually and why they make such bad governments.

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

It’s time for a New Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 kick all English party’s out of wales vote Plaid vote Plaid Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Dafydd
Dafydd
2 years ago

How the hell can anyone vote conservative in Wales after watching that performance?

How on Earth can anyone still fall for ‘they know better than us’, ‘they’re our natural leaders’, ‘we’re too small or too stupid to govern ourselves’ horse sh#t!

They’re morally bankrupt cych.

Perry Mccarthy
Perry Mccarthy
1 year ago
Reply to  Dafydd

I would vote for Vlad to run Wales at the moment, labour have ruled us into the ground , WHAT A SORRY MESS WE ARE IN

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