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Welsh Secretary still ‘trusts’ Boris Johnson despite lockdown party allegations

12 Jan 2022 3 minute read
Simon Hart photo by Chris McAndrew (CC BY 3.0). Boris Johnson. Picture by Cancillería Argentina (CC BY 2.0).

The Westminster-appointed Welsh Secretary has said he still trusts Boris Johnson despite allegations surrounding lockdown rule-breaking party in Downing Street.

Simon Hart has responded to criticism of the UK Prime Minister, who was forced to admit today that he did attend a “bring your own booze” gathering, which was held in the No 10 garden during the first coronavirus lockdown in May 2020.

Johnson insisted to MPs in the House of Commons today that the event in the Downing Street garden was “technically within the rules” but added that he should have realised how it would look to the public, and he apologised for that.

In response to calls to resign he urged MPs to wait for the outcome of an inquiry by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the alleged Covid law-breaking.

The Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams, has said the Johnson’s performance in the House of Commons shows that he has “no authority, no integrity, no shame”.

Simon Hart has refused to join calls for Boris Johnson to resign, but insisted that he understood people’s anger and frustration.

He told reporters at a press briefing: “All I’m saying here is… I know the guy [and] that he is as anxious as anybody for this to be resolved. We will all have plenty of time to chew over Sue Gray’s conclusions around this thing.

“But the fact is that I think I’ve got to know him sufficiently well, over the last couple of years in my dealings with him, you know, whether they’re formal or informal, to be able to say with with confidence, that I trust him.”

He added: “We are all completely sympathetic and completely understand…the frustration and in many cases, the hurt and the indignation and the incredulity that emerging stories like this produce.”

“My working relationship with him, as with the cabinet’s working relationship with him, that remains unchanged. And rightly so. You know, we operate on the basis of collective responsibility and as best as it’s ever possible in politics to operate on a team basis and that has not altered in any way.”

‘No integrity’ 

Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions today, Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams, said: “Today’s PMQs showed that Boris Johnson is a Prime Minister with no authority, no integrity, no shame.

“The public know that the Prime Minister partied while they were in lockdown. But all we heard today was excuse after excuse, lie after lie.

“Johnson has had ample opportunity to show humility and do the right thing by resigning. Now it’s time for his backbenchers, including Welsh Conservative MPs who sat in silence or asked friendly questions in the Chamber today, to show a backbone and get rid of this liar from Number 10.”


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GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

His sycophancy has gone passed pathetic.

Peter Cuthbert
Peter Cuthbert
2 years ago
Reply to  GW Atkinson

Perhaps Mr Hart needs a trip to Spec Savers since he apparently cannot see that de Piffle’s days are numbered and slobbering support will get him nowhere.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  Peter Cuthbert

There’s an awfully good branch in Barnard Castle, I hear.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

What a spineless waste of space,

Gareth Cemlyn Jones
Gareth Cemlyn Jones
2 years ago

A predictable response from the aspiring colonial governor perhaps!

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago

Why ‘aspiring’?

All he needs is the pith helmet and the ceremonials. (Mind you, he already tries to take the pith out of us uppity natives on a regular basis …)

Last edited 2 years ago by Welsh_Siôn
Rob
Rob
2 years ago

Please Simon Hart stop insulting our intelligence.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

I met Johnson once for a brief moment just before his first election as mayor of London. He lied that day and reneged on a sworn promise and nothing since has convinced me that Johnson remotely resembles a human being.

A good mate worked on the Olympic ambassadors programme and his advice was to ignore everything he said because he cannot be relied on for two seconds. He is like the scorpion stinging the frog as they crossed the stream; “It’s in my nature.”

Cat
Cat
2 years ago

Pathetic, idiotic sycophancy and an insult to all who cancelled a wedding, missed a funeral, waited a year to see a new born family member or who could not be with a dying loved one. I expect no better of Boris Johnson but how Welsh Tories react to him thinking a bring your own booze party is a work gathering (still banned at this time), will be a test of their personal morality. Simon Hart has failed the test. Again.

defaid
defaid
2 years ago
Reply to  Cat

Shart has no moral integrity, no more than does the Fat Liar.

I predict a deafening silence from the WC Party.

Dewi Williams
Dewi Williams
2 years ago

Well he would say this wouldn’t he. He’s a lap dog. This what is expected of a lap dog occupying a lap dog Ministerial Government Post. Over recent years, this Welsh Post has consistently been occupied by besotted UK loving lap dog Ministers such Cairns, Crabb et al. Unlike Scotland and Northern Ireland, Wales is poorly represented in the UK Parliament. Wales is virtually without a voice in this chamber because lap dogs are not interested in fighting their Welsh corner. They’ve got their lucrative job to think about as well their undying love and devotion to England and their… Read more »

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

So Anglophile Simon Hart trusts a serial liar Boris Johnson. Never has one man buried his brown nose in so deep.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

Never has one man buried his brown nose in so deep.

________

Oh, I don’t know. R2D2 will give him a run for his money.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

When a former Attorney General, and Tory MP Dominic Grieve, makes a public call for ” serial liar” Boris Johnson to leave his post as PM, it puts into perspective where Simon Hart’s priorities are. Following yesterday’s outburst from A R T Davies, and the news of A Cairns on another gravy train ride, they are behaving more like the “triawd y buarth” than politicians who are supposed to be serving the people of Wales.

R W
R W
2 years ago

In claiming to trust Bozo the Clown, Hart is merely showing himself to be a liar (like his master) or a gullible idiot! Either option seems to be perfectly believable.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  R W

Hart is merely showing himself to be a liar (like his master) or a gullible idiot!

________

Both, friend, both.

Richard
Richard
2 years ago

Simon H is a “decent cove” as one of my Tory colleages once told me. I must say i have always found him an open to decent guy in argument…..though i find his views on animal hunting so 18th Centuary.

i wonder if sitting in one of his favourite South Pembs pubs after next years hunt though ….he might just think these comments of support were ill advised and his time as a new back bencher might have turned out different.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  Richard

i wonder if sitting in one of his favourite South Pembs pubs after next years hunt though ….he might just think these comments of support were ill advised and his time as a new back bencher might have turned out different.

_______

More likely to be warming his backside at our expense, clad in ermine in the HoL, following Johnson’s Resignation Honours List, I’d imagine.

Phil Nedin
Phil Nedin
2 years ago

He clearly has a poor sen e of judgement!

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

Kick all Tories out of wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 stop being little Englanders and be proud to be welsh

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

This guy is truly conditioned and as a result will go down with his boss. Johnson should resign now.

Dafydd B
Dafydd B
2 years ago

Sadly shows the integrity of both Hart and Johnson.

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

Johnson apologists are contemptible. One wonders what is worst…. the liar himself…. or those who make excuses for him while knowing full well that those excuses are just one more layer of despicable behaviour.

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