Michael Gove

Cabinet minister Michael Gove, writing in The Times, has said the government’s Brexit deal will end the “ugly” politics since the 2016 Brexit referendum. The leading Brexiteer said he “won’t deny it’s been difficult” for many people since then. “Friendships have been strained, families were divided and our politics has been rancorous and, at times, […]

Urgent talks are taking place between the leaders of the devolved administrations and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove as calls mount to scrap plans for an easing of Covid-19 restrictions over Christmas. The move comes as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded an urgent review into the easing of rules after leading medical journals warned […]

Michael Gove has been told to “correct the record” after misleading statements made about Brexit. Gove had claimed that key health and education benefits will be saved “for a while” – even if there is no deal – while interviewed by the Today programme. There is currently no guarantee the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Erasmus will […]

Michael Gove has been compared to Bart Simpson for his refusal to accept responsibility for the “chaos” caused by Brexit. But instead the Cabinet Office minister compared himself to Groundskeeper Willie – the fictional Scottish school janitor – only to be told that Willie declared his support for Scottish independence at the 2014 referendum. SNP MP Owen […]

Piers Morgan has told Michael Gove his attempt to deny No 10 had pursued a policy of herd immunity “would not survive” a public inquiry. Michael Gove sought to downplay the claims brought forward by senior SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) scientist Sir Patrick Vallance. The cabinet minister, who chairs the government’s Covid committee, told Good Morning Britain England’s […]

Michael Gove has been challenged to explain why it is a good thing that Northern Ireland is given the “best of both worlds” with access to the benefits of the UK and European Union, but that it should not apply to England, Scotland or Wales. Gove told reporters that the agreement with the EU will […]

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has been reminded that he swore on his job that the government would not back down on the Internal Market Bill. Hours after MPs voted to reinstate clauses which break international law into the Brexit bill after the Lords rejected them, Gove announced that it would drop parts of the […]

Piers Morgan has slammed the government’s coronavirus response, pointing out that the “disastrous” death toll was higher than the number of civilians who died in the Second World War. Morgan criticised the handling of the pandemic as he interviewed minister Michael Gove, as the MP denied that it had been a bad response. The Good […]

Michael Gove has been accused of going “full Trump” after he attacked Good Morning Britain‘s rating figures. Gove attacked the show after he was accused of telling a “blatant lie” about Boris Johnson’s polling numbers. Responding to Piers Morgan’s question about becoming prime minister, Gove responded: “I don’t want to be prime minister, Piers. “Firstly, I think […]

Michael Gove has inflamed tensions with Piers Morgan after he said he received “good advice” from colleagues to boycott Good Morning Britain (GMB). Morgan accused Gove of “suppressing free speech” after the minister admitted he he had been “told” to avoid the show. Referencing a Scottish anecdote, Gove said: “When you get good advice from your colleagues, […]

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said that it is for “common sense” to decide what a “substantial meal” is that will enable people to have a drink in pubs as lockdown lifts in England. Gove was challenged by Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan as to whether a Scotch egg fitted the criteria after […]

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said he is confident another lockdown in England could be avoided, but that the government could not rule one out. Appearing on Kay Burley at Breakfast, he said: “I am as confident as confident can be that we won’t need one because the tiers that we have now are […]

A transport boss has called the government’s handling of Brexit border proceedings a “complete shambles”. The chief executive of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) Richard Burnett said the software needed to facilitate the transport of goods to and from the EU was not ready, Sky News has reported. In a letter seen by the outlet, Burnett […]

Britain’s chief Brexit negotiator has told Boris Johnson that a trade deal with the EU could be ready as early as next week. Lord David Frost is reported to have told the prime minister there would be a “possible landing zone” for an agreement as soon as next Tuesday, the Sun has revealed. The latest round […]

The fallout of Dominic Cummings’ departure from government continues, with a newspaper claiming the aide said Johnson was “indecisive” and that Michael Gove was left to provide clarity on decisions. Cummings left his role after a power struggle that has rocked the administration, amid claims he had briefed against Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie […]

Michael Gove has been challenged to pick which unelected bureaucrat he supports in the internal war in Number 10. During questions in the House of Commons, the Cabinet Office minister was asked to decide whether he was on the team of “Dom or Carrie”. It came as director of communications Lee Cain resigned, and chief […]

Michael Gove has been criticised by Labour for failing to answer a “basic question” on how many customs agents are ready to deal with Brexit at the end of the transition period in six weeks’ time. Shadow cabinet office minister Rachel Reeves was asking Brexiteer Gove about the fact that the transition period now ends […]

Michael Gove has apologised for confusing the rules over tennis and golf rules during England’s second lockdown. Downing Street has insisted it will not change direction over the decision to close golf courses and tennis clubs when new measures are introduced this week. But during an online question and answer session with his constituents, the […]

Deloitte and McKinsey are among a raft of private companies awarded £180 million in Brexit-related contracts by the government. Data released by the government and analysed by the Byline Times has revealed that six firms were handed identical contracts worth £30 million each for the provision of “strategic programme management” regarding the end of Brexit transition period. […]

Did you hear the door slam on Britain’s post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU27 after Boris Johnson declared them broken off last Friday night? No, neither did deaf old me. But nor did BBC One’s News at Ten which opted to lead its bulletin on Whitehall’s parallel standoff with Covid-hit Manchester, also going badly for […]

Theresa May has branded Michael Gove’s claims over a no-deal Brexit as “utter rubbish”. The Conservative former prime minister repeatedly said “what?” in disbelief and appeared to mouth her thoughts as Gove outlined how the UK will be expected to boost its security outside the EU. Cabinet Office minister Gove claimed there are “many, many […]

Boris Johnson is pursuing a “Narnia deal” with the EU, Labour warned as they urged the UK government to secure a trade agreement. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said the opposition expects the prime minister and his team to broker an arrangement to enable the UK to trade freely with the EU. Speaking in […]

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has been challenged over his claim back in April 2016 that the UK will “holds all the cards” in Brexit talks. During a campaign speech, the Brexiteer had claimed: “The day after we vote to leave we hold all the cards and we can choose the path we want”, a clip that […]

A petition has been launched to lobby the authorities to officially name a Kent lorry park – being created for those vehicles queuing to access the port of Dover following Brexit – after one of the leading protagonists of the campaign to leave the EU. A new change.org petition is urging Kent Council to officially name the […]

DENIS MACSHANE on why Boris Johnson will end the Brexit transition period with a deal. 1) UK Brexit negotiator, Lord David Frost has been instructed to say UK will honour its European Convention/Court of Justice Human Rights obligations which Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in particular opposed as since 2010 he has called for UK withdrawal […]

Did you notice Boris Johnson raising those careworn eyes towards the wider world horizon in the past few days? Not once but twice. First, to promise a generous £340 million UK contribution to the embattled World Health Organisation despite it being Public Enemy No 208 to his comrade-in-expediency, Tax Dodger Trump. Second, to pledge Britain […]

More than 50% of Britons do not believe Boris Johnson will negotiate a good Brexit deal with the EU, a poll has revealed. A survey by Ipsos MORI found that 58% of the public think Britain will not receive a good Brexit deal, the Evening Standard has reported. Just 26% think the government is well-prepared […]

Michael Gove has claimed Scottish independence would be “worse’ than the worst-case Brexit. The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster made the comments during a Commons debate on the UK’s departure from the EU, as he outlined the “reasonable worst case scenarios”. SNP MP Pete Wishart criticised the government’s handling of Brexit and said Scotland […]

An industry body has said that requiring lorry drivers to obtain special permits to enter Kent from neighbouring counties is nothing short of “pointless”. Road Haulage Association (RHA) policy director Duncan Buchanan said the measure aimed at avoiding post-Brexit gridlock is simply a “tick box exercise”. Cabinet minister Michael Gove told the Commons on Wednesday […]