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Former Cabinet Minister and Government Chief Whip, Simon was at the centre of Westminster politics during the turbulance of the Johnson and Sunak years, and one of the few ministers to serve under both. He explores not just what makes government work - or not - but also the fundamental lessons in leadership, culture, and decision-making he learned.
Simon Hart is a former senior Cabinet Minister and one of the few politicians to have served at the heart of government under two very different Prime Ministers. As Secretary of State for Wales under Boris Johnson and later as Government Chief Whip for Rishi Sunak, he operated at the centre of power during one of the most volatile periods in modern British politics.
As Chief Whip, Simon had a rare, close-up view of how government really works – and how it can fail to work – as it responded to a relentless stream of unforeseen national and international crises, as well as internal fractures. His role combined political discipline with diplomacy, requiring him to deliver the Government’s legislative programme through both Houses of Parliament while managing internal division, rebellions, defections and reshuffles. Consensus-building, often between ideologically opposed colleagues, became his hallmark, as well as strategic implementation handled with sensitivity, respect and pragmatism.
Simon was responsible for issues rarely visible to the public, including infrastructure projects, relations between the UK Government and the devolved nations, and the day-to-day mechanics of maintaining authority and momentum at the top of government. During this period he was also a frequent media spokesperson, appearing on programmes including Today, Question Time, Any Questions, Newsnight and Sky News, often defending government policy amid intense scrutiny over events such as Partygate, the Rwanda asylum policy, and the resignation of Boris Johnson.
These experiences have shaped Simon’s core interests: effective political leadership, decision-making under pressure, crisis management, and the practical challenges of maintaining trust and coherence in large, complex organisations. His responsibilities ranged from handling sensitive allegations involving MPs and staff, to managing leadership challenges and restoring discipline, all while protecting the credibility of the Prime Minister and Government as a whole. He also developed a particular interest in talent identification, recruitment and the strengths and weaknesses of parliamentary regulatory systems.
Simon’s critically acclaimed, Sunday Times bestselling book Ungovernable offers a candid account of why a government that appeared unassailable in 2019 became unelectable just five years later. Drawing on contemporaneous diary entries, he examines the breakdown of discipline, leadership failures and cultural pressures that undermined authority; lessons that are as relevant to business as they are to modern politics.
Elected in 2010 as the first Conservative MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Simon served on four select committees and was a political member of the Committee for Standards in Public Life. Before entering Parliament, he was Chief Executive and later Chair of the Countryside Alliance, leading one of the UK’s largest membership organisations through highly contested political terrain.
