Sally-Ann Hart is a familiar face around Rye and Hastings where she is the local Conservative MP. Having met her at a few functions I was impressed at her involvement with the people of the area. She really cares and is interested to listen to people’s concerns. This made me ask, “What is the private person behind the public face really like?”
I asked Sally-Ann some questions.
What would be your favourite day out
All my family together for lunch outside on a warm spring or summer Sunday followed by a walk around Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, along the Royal Military Canal at Winchelsea, or in Brede Woods (especially when the bluebells are in full glory) to name a few of our favourite walks – and afterwards reading the Sunday papers!
What three words describe you best?
Compassionate, diligent, loyal (my husband helped here!)
If you could change one historical event, what would it be?
Hitler coming to power which had such horrendous consequences for so many people in Europe and at home. The Holocaust and the Nazis’ incomprehensible cruelty, torture and treatment of fellow human beings, and the unfathomable evil perpetrated, is a bloody stain on human history.
What is one item on your bucket list?
To visit South America, particularly Peru and Mexico, to see the archaeological sites of the Incas, Mayans and Aztec civilisations. I am fascinated by ancient history and how humans lived in the past. My family gets very bored when we visit museums, Roman sites and so on as I get lost in time and lose all sense of time.
What is a habit that you picked up from your parents?
Well certainly not being late everywhere (apart from when I am lost in time!) – I get stressed if I am late because I spent my childhood and teen years always being late. On the positive side, my parents had a strong work ethic and really valued family – two good habits I picked up. We always ate together which is where all sorts of discussions would take place, from faith to politics. I have three sisters, so often these discussions were quite noisy as we all tried to get ourselves heard… I was actually the quiet one. Believe it or not, I hate confrontation!
What brings you the most joy?
My family – the most important thing in the world is family and love. I love my friends too – my family and friends help keep me grounded.
Whose advice do you value the most?
My father’s. He died a few years ago and I really do miss his intelligence, his logic, his innate goodness and his unconditional love. He gave objective and considered advice when I asked for it, not in a preachy way, but in a thoughtful, questioning way. Even today, in my working life I sometimes think, now what would daddy do?
What is the most important trait you have?
Quiet determination.
What smell do you associate with childhood?
The smell of mown grass – just love it. I can close my eyes, breathe it in and just be.
If you could learn one skill instantly, what would it be?
Teleportation – so I can cram more into my day and not waste time getting there! Seriously, to be able to play a musical instrument. I learned the piano as a child but never got to grips with it. I would love to play a musical instrument competently – it is such a skill.
What word or words would you eliminate from the English language?
‘Stupid’. I would not let my children call each other names. It is demeaning. ‘Can’t’. There is no such thing as ‘can’t’.
Who would you like to sit next to on a bench and have a conversation with, alive or dead?
Martin Luther King. I think he must have been an amazing person; he helped change US history for the better and fought for equality: ‘Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend’.
Goals yet to achieve?
Eradication of poverty and disadvantage in Hastings and Rye. So much to do, so little time to do it.
What is the best thing you own?
My physical and mental health.
What is your pet hate? What would you put in Room 101?
Anti-social and inconsiderate car drivers/motorcycle riders.
Your favourite place in the world?
Hastings and Rye!
I think you could have asked Sally Ann Hart why she continues to support a leader who has clearly misled Parliament. A pretty weak interview I’m afraid.
How about a proper interview holding our MP to account on local, national and international issues?
“Interview” or “Conservative Party Press Release” ? Who can tell?
This interview would have been better placed in HELLO!. As pointed out you could at least have asked our MP whether she would have taken the whip re the allegation of the PM misleading Parliament. This interview reminded me of the late 1950’s when the PM would submit the questions he would be answering. Anyway you forgot to ask ‘What is your favourite colour’ ?
Is anyone actually interested in any of these questions? Are we all now supposed to have a soft spot for our MP? I would if she’d actually speak for herself not the party
My husband has emails from her defending Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle and defending Johnson’s innumerable lies. There’s nothing strong or dignified about refusing to admit you’re wrong – it just looks weak and childish. That’s something all Tory MPs from the PM down ought to consider.
I agree with you Amy. Everyone makes mistakes. It is strong and powerful to admit them, learn and grow, with a better understanding of how to deal with similar issues in the future. Lying, denying and saying move on, move on, nothing to see here, is a red flag. I have learned much more from my mistakes than my non mistakes. Its how you get to know how other people think, feel, live, experience the world. Outside your own bubble. Pretending you arent wrong is as you say weak and childish.
And one has to wonder if you would ask a male MP the same trite questions.
We have a PM that our MP has wholeheartedly and unapologetically supported during the pandemic, refugee crisis, the devastating environmental impact of water companies polluting our rivers and coastal areas, and party-gate. Where were the questions about these issues? I am embarrassed about this interview as it stays on the frivolous surface during very challenging times for our country. This news outlet, whilst volunteer led I realise, continues to be an uncritical voice of Ms Hart and the Conservative party. How about some critical thinking, perhaps some effort at critique?
Couldn’t agree more. As someone who has worked in the media and communications for decades, I always take a morbid professional interest in pieces like this. All the other correspondents have already punctured the patronising contrivance of the ‘candid interview’, so no need to do that. Despite the conceit of a dialogue with Kt Bruce (no slur on her, she’s not a journalist) this is one way traffic, it’s a piece of clunky political messaging. And it’s always interesting to dissect the content and consider what’s actually revealed between the lines. Of all the political and policy insights we might have gained from this penetrating encounter, Mrs Hart’s office thought it important to let us know that the Conservative Member for Rye & Hastings definitely doesn’t like Nazis but really, really does like black icons like Martin Luther King… I can’t imagine what anxieties might have motivated that assurance!! The whole thing is a masterclass in banal political signalling and bland inoffensiveness. These aren’t the questions anybody wants answered.
It’s great that Rye News has a relationship of sorts with Mrs Hart, and it’s equally good that our MP engages, but the Fourth Estate is supposed to hold our elected representatives to account, not supinely purvey a platform for cosy Hello! style vapouring. I dare say Mrs Hart’s office wanted this to seem ‘authentic’, but it falls flat on its face. It totally under-estimates the audience and it’s actually deeply condescending.
Come on, Sally, if you want to engage, let the readers set the questions, and tell us what you really think about the issues we actually care about! You’d earn a lot more respect…
I think the reader comments on this piece (especially GH’s) say it all. It really is complete and utter nonsense. It’s difficult to imagine how anyone at RN could ever have thought it was a good idea and added it to this week’s offerings. As I’ve said before, RN needs to decide how it is going to treat political issues and add some balance.
Poor Sally Anne Hart, Damned if she tries to engage with the people of Hastings and Rye,Damned if she doesn’t. Of course after all the shenanigans of the last two years, Boris would be wise to stand down, and hopefully he will,because in the end there is another election to win in 2024, with no formidable opposition on the horizon, but of course we all know the real reason why most on here asr baying for his blood, as sadly most have never got over the brexit result. No mention of the positives Boris got us,first in line for vaccines, first out of lockdown, when others were hoping it would continue and bankrupt the country,after taking all the goodies on offer, if only the other parties had not lied, when all parties said they would honour the referendum result,which ever way it went, they maybe wouldn’t have been animated at the last election. Maybe the people who have so much to say on here,take up the opportunity to meet Sally Anne Hart at her surgery,
I regularly correspond with Mrs Hart, John. And I’ll admit, with deep chagrin, I voted leave… Next hypothesis, please!
I don’t think a Labour leader would have any chance of getting voted in at the next election, all Starmer want to do is rattle on about partygate which is getting very very boring!!
I agree with all the comments that as a political interview it is very weak but look at the sub heading.
Who is the private person behind the public figure and that’s exactly what this interview aims to do.
Probably not the best timing bearing in mind the current unrest, my advice to her would be to concentrate on what she’s paid to do, get on top of the county council, Rother council and anyone else who seems to be incapable of doing their jobs.
Yes I like your posts on Rye news GW, but please put a name to your posts,and they will be appreciated by many, rather than hiding behind your keyboard.
This is like an interview you’d get back in the day of Smash Hits with a teeny musician not a local MP!! It’s awful.
Given a proportion of your readership lives in Hastings, where there are elections on May 5th, you might want to quickly interview prominent people from the other parties in the Borough so you don’t risk being seen to give the Tories an advantage during the period of purdah.
I agree with most of the above comments, especially that this sort of interview would be best written up for a Woman’s Magazine. I realise what K Bruce tried to achieve but I think it is more negative than positive in terms of impressing the constituance. We need to know: ‘What are S.A Hart’s personal thoughts politically, does she know actually what is important to people in Rye and Hastings. Seeing a few people in the surgery is not going to give her enough insight. Having to book it is not generic friendly. Nor can I agree that she is around a lot on a walk about. I have not come across her in my walk about and involvements in Rye. Especially at the moment I would like to know if she has any opinions that are personal than towing the B Johnson line.
I would like to know her opinion re the latest inhuman proposal for refugees, what is she lobbying for, re cost of living and green build, the slow help to get fleeing people from Ukraine.
If Rwanda can assess “illegal” refugees claim to come to England or not, why don’t we have an English station in France to do that so refugees would not need to come in dangerous boats and it would be much cheaper. I won’t go on as many already said that which Sally Ann Hart should take to heart.
To be honest I am sitting in my garden having a rest having done a charity walk yesterday and I enjoyed the piece Kt!! I don’t know a lot about Sally Anne the actual person and I found it interesting!! I appreciate that Sally Anne is our MP and very recently heard at the general meeting of The Rye News that people were feeling that the paper was becoming too political! This article kept away from that and again none of the other parties are placing articles even though that has been invited! Perhaps the time spent by those writing negative and not constructive comments could be used more wisely maybe doing a charity walk for example!
You don’t know much about our MP and you do now? Not from that interview, try looking into her voting history in the HOC.
I think if you’re talking about a politician, by definition, you’re not ‘keeping away from politics’. Indeed, the first line introduces Mrs Hart as the local Conservative MP. That’s why people questioned the tone and the intent, I think.
I agree with you though, Lisa, it’s nice to learn more about the people who represent us. The flaw in this ‘get to know you’ was that it was transparently not about candid insights, it was a PR exercise dressed up as such. I think most folk know the difference nowadays, and it’s ill considered, counter-productive farragos like this that, imho, undermine people’s faith in politics. All parties do it, of course…
Today, ‘authenticity’ is a really valuable media commodity, and the influencers who wield it probably have more soft power than many a constituency MP or Prime Minister… Arguably, the media today holds more sway than party politics – for better or (usually) worse, and I think politicians think they can adopt the modes of the media to engage with their electorate. If they do it well, they can. But there are pitfalls, as demonstrated… The problem politicians have today is that whilst they try to model authenticity and ingratiate themselves as relatable people, there’s a real tension between cosy intimacy and authority and dignity. Politicians are not celebrities, and in an incredibly media-literate, cine-literate society, the audience can smell any whiff of contrivance.
The bigger, more disturbing, issue is why politicians engage in this nonsense in the first place. In a sense, that’s our fault. We generally haven’t got time for complex manifestos and ethical debates today, we frequently adopt our political allegiances according to tribal loyalties, culture war obsessions or an identification of who in the political pantheon shares our antipathy for X, Y or Z. These days, it seems to me a lot of people know what they’re against, but not what they’re actually in favour of. We’re all investing less in Democracy, and consequently, getting less out. Mrs Hart’s article is a symptom. So maybe we get the politicians we deserve…?
One further question to ask the MP at her surgery today: why is she a member of the Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs? This group advocates the so called culture wars, wanting to break up the BBC, the repeal of hate speech laws, ending the need for impartiality in news reporting, undermining the 2010 Equality Act and denigrating the Black Lives Matter campaign.
One only has to check out Sally Ann Harts parliamentary voting record on the internet to see how she shamelessly supports her very out of touch leader & his fellow ‘yes, yes’ ministers on so many serious issues which affect us all locally & indeed, some more than others, on a daily basis.
By reading this article I was hoping to get some understanding of just what drives our local MP in her decision making & her voting in parliament which affects us, her constituents..
Unfortunately, as with so many Tory MP’s, past & present in this area of East Sussex. She seems to think that her views do actually represent the majority of her local constituents. But burying her head in the sand will not help those many constituents who actually live in a different world to her & are suffering directly as a result of Tory policy & mismanagement & this is certainly becoming more apparent as this week’s local election results are clearly showing.
I’m afraid this weak & light weight article does nothing to improve the readers understanding of their MP.
The most pleasing aspect of reading this article is seeing preceding readers comments.
Stephen Hardy talks about breaking up the BBC, maybe he should ask himself why, the reason most people are in favour of this is the obscene salaries of people like Gary Lineker, reading most of the time off a cue board.
£159 per household to people on the breadline is an insult to those who are already struggling daily,and hopefully soon this tax,will be destined to the bin,where it belongs.
Well said John Tolhurst, Gary lineker is just one of many that are fleecing the license payers, It made me laugh when he compared his salary with what the footballers were earning, what a joke.
I don’t think a Daily Express poll of 2000 odd people constitutes a reliable indicator that ‘most people’ favour breaking up the BBC. (Assume that’s what John’s referring to? Seems to be among the most recent straw polls.) I suspect people who want to take a club to the machinery (and personnel?) of the BBC perhaps don’t appreciate the breadth and quality of what it offers. Nor the integrity of rank and file staff, nor their commitment to balance and journalistic ethics. In today’s hyper-partisan world, those features could hardly be more precious to us. Once a hatchet has been wielded, those institutional values won’t be fostered elsewhere. So, I’d suggest that the BBC’s detractors be careful what they wish for.
As for balance, the BBC is seen by the left as too right and the right as too left. So, on balance, it’s probably about right!
In terms of Lineker’s salary, I dare say it’s the going rate for celebrities of his stature. You could have the same moral debate about the salaries of footballers versus nurses, but it’s a societal issue, not one that particularly centres on the BBC.