Tell-all book and Nazi graffiti scandal reignite calls for answers

FORMER South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart is facing mounting criticism over his appointment to the House of Lords—amid fresh outrage over his decision to publish a revealing political memoir and lingering questions about the “swastika saga” involving defaced campaign material once in his own possession.

Hart, who was MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire from 2010 until he stood down last year, appeared on Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list and is now set to take a seat in the Lords. But his peerage has sparked anger from senior Conservatives, who say Hart breached trust by publishing ‘Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip’, which contains personal and salacious anecdotes about MPs who confided in him while he held one of the most sensitive roles in government.

The Herald understands that at least one sitting Tory MP wrote to the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) in an attempt to block the nomination, arguing Hart had violated the Nolan Principles—guidelines designed to maintain integrity in public life.

In the book, Hart recounts incidents involving MPs caught in compromising situations, including one who allegedly called the whips’ office for help after becoming stranded in a brothel. Critics say the publication undermines the confidential nature of the whips’ office, which exists partly to offer pastoral support to MPs during times of personal crisis.

Former defence minister Sir Alec Shelbrooke branded the book “appalling” and said it risked breaking the trust that Parliament depends on: “If MPs can’t trust the whips, the system will break down,” he said.

But questions about Hart’s judgement don’t stop there.

Back in 2019, The Pembrokeshire Herald revealed that Hart had shared an image of a defaced campaign poster—infamously bearing the phrase “WILL STARVE YOUR NAN AND STEAL HER HOUSE!”—which had been further altered with Nazi swastikas at some point between its original appearance in 2017 and its reappearance two years later during Hart’s re-election campaign.

Mr Hart had kept the already-defaced poster in his personal possession during that time, and critics pointed out that the two swastikas—absent from the original image—were added while the sign was no longer in public display. Hart refused to explain the additions, dismissing questions from the Herald as “totally outrageous” and claiming it was political mischief by opponents.

Local campaigner Jim Scott, who spotted the differences between the 2017 and 2019 images, asked: “Who had access to the sign in those two years? And why were the swastikas added later?”

The incident caused national embarrassment and raised eyebrows in Westminster, especially as Hart leveraged the graffiti controversy to campaign for civility in politics and even secured a seat on the parliamentary Standards in Public Life Committee on the back of it.

Despite these controversies—and his refusal to address them publicly—Hart has now been rewarded with a life peerage.

One former Tory MP told the BBC: “You’d expect a chief whip to get a peerage, but doing so after publishing a book like that? It’s very odd.”

Hart has not responded to requests for comment from The Pembrokeshire Herald this week. His publisher, Pan Macmillan, also declined to issue a statement.

Meanwhile, former immigration minister Kevin Foster labelled Sunak’s honours list “a reward for failure,” describing it as “a list of Sunak’s mates.”

The Herald stands by its original reporting on the swastika poster and continues to invite Mr Hart to offer a full and credible public explanation.

THE PRESIDENT of the Union of Welsh Independent Churches has used his Easter message to highlight the continuing suffering caused by violence and war — and to call for a future where graves remain empty.

The Revd Jeff Williams, who represents more than 300 chapels across Wales, drew parallels between the hatred that led to Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and the modern-day violence that continues to claim innocent lives around the world.

He said: “The same hatred and systems of oppression that crucified Jesus are still killing countless thousands of innocent people by bullets and bombs today.”

In a heartfelt reflection on current global conflicts, Revd Williams spoke of the pain seen daily on television screens, as grieving families bury their loved ones.

“As we watch heartbroken relatives weeping over graves being filled with the bodies of their loved ones, we pray for the day when graves remain empty — free from the victims of war and violence,” he said.

The Easter story’s central image of an empty tomb was offered as a sign of hope and challenge.

“The empty grave of Easter speaks of a future where peace and reconciliation prevail,” he said. “It challenges every one of us — whether we have a religious faith or not — to do all we can to promote peace, beginning in our own hearts.”

The Union of Welsh Independent Churches, known in Welsh as Undeb yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg, is a fellowship of congregations rooted in the tradition of Welsh nonconformity, with deep historical ties to peace-making and social justice.

PLANS to convert a print works, and former church, close to Pembroke Castle to a holiday let have been approved after being refused last year.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Criag Odlin sought permission for a change of use of the Printing Works, The Green, Pembroke – in the town’s conservation area – to holiday accommodation.

The site is located within the 500m buffer zone of Schedule Ancient Monuments Pembroke Castle, Pembroke Town Wall and Priory Farm Cave.

A previous application was refused last year on the grounds “the nature of the proposed development is considered to have a potential to impact on the protected species and their habitats,” adding: “ Whilst the application includes a Green Infrastructure Statement and demonstrates biodiversity enhancements, the application lacks the provision of a protected species survey.  In the absence of such information, the proposed development fails to demonstrate a positive approach to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and thus fails to accord [with policy].”

An officer report on the latest proposal, recommending approval, said: “The development would provide new self-catering accommodation within the settlement boundary for the Hub Town of Pembroke, resulting in positive environmental and social impacts through the appropriate re-use of the building and the increase in availability of varied accommodation in the local area and positive economic benefits through expenditure on building materials and on labour during constriction.”

It went on to say: “With regard to ecology, there are multiple bat records in the area, with the building having the potential to support bats. A Preliminary Roost Assessment and a Green Infrastructure Statement (GIS) have been submitted, the assessment identifies that bats were not using the site and that no further survey work is considered necessary.

“The GIS demonstrates a stepwise approach to the development and proposes biodiversity enhancement measures.”

The application was conditionally approved.