Simon Hart appointed new Welsh Secretary

Simon Hart, the MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, has been named the new Welsh Secretary following the election on 12 December.

Succeeding Alun Cairns, who resigned at the start of the campaign, the former junior minister in the Cabinet Office will oversee relations between the Welsh Government and Whitehall departments, with Hart’s appointment welcomed by Welsh Assembly Conservatives.

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford, from Welsh Labour, said he was ‘pleased to see a new Secretary of State for Wales appointed so quickly’ and added that the two will meet soon to discuss ‘Welsh Government priorities and ensure they are heard at the UK government's cabinet table’.

Hart’s background is in rural affairs, having formerly held positions as chief executive of the Countryside Alliance and master of the South Pembrokeshire Hunt. He served on the backbenches until July when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister and appointed him as a junior minister at the Cabinet Office.

Meanwhile, Nicky Morgan is set to remain as Culture Secretary, despite standing down as an MP. Morgan is taking a peerage and will sit as a Cabinet Minister in the Lords.

With ministerial changes expected to be minimal, there is growing unconfirmed speculation that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is contemplating a much bigger shake-up in February, including changes to a number of departments, including the Department for Exiting the European Union, the Home Office and Department for International Development.