A Conservative MP has condemned the decision to award a peerage to former Welsh secretary Simon Hart, following the release of his revealing book on his time as chief whip.
Hart, who previously represented Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, was included in former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list. His book, Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip, recounts behind-the-scenes events in Westminster, including colourful and anonymous anecdotes about MPs, such as one incident where an MP allegedly contacted the whips’ office after running out of money in a brothel.
Despite the book being cleared by the Cabinet Secretary under rules governing the handling of sensitive government information, several senior Conservatives argue Hart violated the confidential nature of the chief whip’s role.
One Conservative MP, Alec Shelbrooke, branded the book “appalling” and accused Hart of undermining the trust that underpins the parliamentary system. He warned that such breaches of confidence could have serious consequences, especially for MPs under pressure who rely on the whips’ office for discreet support.
Shelbrooke said he had written to the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) urging them to block Hart’s peerage, claiming it breached the Nolan Principles of conduct in public life. He compared the breach of trust to a doctor publishing private patient stories, saying it “undermines the whole system.”
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