Shadow portfolios 2005‍–‍2010

Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
In office 2 July 2007 – 11 May 2010
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	David Willetts
Succeeded by	Ed Balls
Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning
In office 10 May 2005 – 2 July 2007
Leader	Michael Howard David Cameron
Preceded by	John Hayes
Succeeded by	Grant Shapps

Parliamentary offices

Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 May 2025 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath
In office 5 May 2005 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Nick Hawkins
Succeeded by	Al Pinkerton

Personal details

Born

Graeme Andrew Logan

26 August 1967 (age 57)
Aberdeen, Scotland

Political party

Conservative

Other political
affiliations

Labour (1983)

Spouse

Sarah Vine

(m. 2001; div. 2022)

Children

Education

Robert Gordon's College

Alma mater

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (BA)

Occupation

Politician
journalist

Signature

Michael Gove (born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician and journalist. He has held many important jobs in the UK government under different Prime Ministers. These include David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak.

He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Surrey Heath from 2005 to 2024. He is a member of the Conservative Party. In 2025, he became a life peer in the House of Lords, known as Baron Gove. He has also been the editor of The Spectator magazine since October 2024.

Early Life and Education

Michael Gove was born Graeme Andrew Logan on 26 August 1967 in Aberdeen, Scotland. He was adopted when he was four months old by Ernest and Christine Gove. They changed his name to Michael Andrew Gove. His adoptive father worked in a fish processing business, and his adoptive mother was a lab assistant.

He grew up in Aberdeen and went to Sunnybank Primary School and Kittybrewster Primary School. Later, he attended Robert Gordon's College, an independent school. When he was a teenager, he joined the Labour Party for a short time.

Studying at Oxford

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where Gove studied

In 1985, Gove went to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University to study English. While there, he joined the Conservative Party. He was involved in student politics and even became President of the Oxford Union, a famous debating society. He graduated with a good degree in English.

Early Career as a Journalist

After university, Michael Gove started a career in journalism. He worked for The Press and Journal in Aberdeen. He also worked for Scottish Television and the BBC.

In 1996, he joined The Times newspaper. He wrote articles and became an editor there. He wrote about politics and current events for the paper until 2005. He also wrote books, including a study of the Northern Ireland peace process. Gove also helped start Policy Exchange, a conservative research group.

Political Career

Becoming a Member of Parliament: 2005–2010

Michael Gove was elected as the Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath in the 2005 general election. He won by a large number of votes.

As an MP, he became the Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning. This meant he was part of the opposition party, looking at the government's plans for housing. He also wrote columns for different magazines and newspapers.

In 2007, he was promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. In this role, he suggested new ideas for education, like allowing parents to choose schools that would be funded by the state.

Secretary of State for Education: 2010–2014

Official portrait, 2012

After the 2010 general election, Michael Gove became the Secretary of State for Education. This was a very important job where he was in charge of schools and education across England.

He made many changes to the education system. He allowed more schools to become academies, which have more freedom from local councils. He also changed the national curriculum, bringing back more traditional authors and strengthening subjects like maths and science. These changes aimed to improve children's reading, writing, and maths skills.

Some teachers' unions disagreed with his changes. They felt his policies were not always helpful for schools and teachers.

Chief Whip: 2014–2015

In 2014, Gove was moved to a new role as the Government Chief Whip. The Chief Whip's job is to make sure that members of their political party vote in Parliament the way the party wants them to. This role is very important for keeping party discipline.

Secretary of State for Justice: 2015–2016

Official portrait, 2015

After the 2015 general election, Gove became the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. In this role, he was in charge of the justice system, including courts and prisons.

He made some changes, like removing a limit on the number of books prisoners could have. He believed that books could help prisoners improve their reading and maths skills. He also stopped a plan for a prison contract in Saudi Arabia.

EU Referendum Role

Pro-European Union protesters with banners depicting Gove (left) and Nigel Farage (right)

Michael Gove was a very important figure in the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. He argued that Britain would be "freer, fairer and better off" outside the EU. He was a co-leader of the "Vote Leave" campaign.

Conservative Party Leadership Contest 2016

After the referendum, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, resigned. Michael Gove decided to run to become the leader of the Conservative Party. He finished in third place in the contest, which was eventually won by Theresa May.

Out of Government: 2016–2017

After Theresa May became Prime Minister, Michael Gove was not initially given a job in her government. During this time, he continued to be an MP and wrote columns for The Times newspaper. He also interviewed Donald Trump in January 2017, before Trump became President of the United States.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: 2017–2019

Gove with Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government's Rural Economy Secretary

In 2017, Gove was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In this role, he focused on protecting the environment.

He introduced a ban on tiny plastic beads called microbeads, which are found in some cosmetics and can harm marine life. He also announced plans for a ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 to help reduce air pollution. Gove also worked to ban certain pesticides that harm bees and introduced stricter laws for animal welfare.

Conservative Party Leadership Contest 2019

In 2019, Theresa May resigned as Prime Minister. Michael Gove ran again for the leadership of the Conservative Party. He finished third in this contest as well, which was won by Boris Johnson.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: 2019–2021

When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, Michael Gove was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. This is a senior role in the government, where he helped prepare for Britain's exit from the European Union. He also became Minister for the Cabinet Office in 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gove was involved in coordinating the government's response. He chaired meetings and helped make decisions about rules for social mixing.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: 2021–2022

In September 2021, Gove became the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. This new department was created to focus on the government's "levelling up" plan, which aims to reduce differences between different parts of the UK. He was also given the title of Minister for Intergovernmental Relations.

In this role, he launched a plan to increase public investment and give more power to local areas across the UK. He also announced the "Homes for Ukraine" scheme, which helped British households offer homes to Ukrainian refugees. In July 2022, he was dismissed from this role.

Return to Government: 2022–2024

In October 2022, when Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, Michael Gove was reappointed to his previous roles as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations.

In February 2023, he announced "Awaab's Law", which requires social housing providers to fix damp and mould problems quickly. This law was named after a two-year-old child who died due to mould in his home.

Retirement from Parliament and New Role

Michael Gove did not stand for re-election in the 2024 general election. His time as an MP ended in May 2024.

In October 2024, he became the editor of The Spectator magazine. He also presented a radio series for BBC Radio 4 about politics.

Joining the House of Lords

In May 2025, Michael Gove was made a life peer, which means he became a member of the House of Lords. His title is Baron Gove, named after Torry in Aberdeen, where his adoptive father was born. He was officially introduced to the House of Lords later that month.

Political Views

Michael Gove is generally seen as a Conservative politician who believes in economic freedom and less government interference in daily life. He has also expressed strong support for Israel.

He has spoken about the importance of tackling inequality and improving public services. He believes in the value and dignity of every person.

Personal Life

Michael Gove married journalist Sarah Vine in 2001. They have two children. In 2021, they announced their separation, and their divorce was finalised in 2022.

He has lived in several areas of London. After becoming a Secretary of State again in 2021, he lived in a government-provided flat in London.

Gove was baptised in the Church of Scotland. His adoptive father, Ernest Gove, passed away in 2023.

Honours

Life Peerage, Baron Gove, of Torry in the City of Aberdeen (2025)

Michael Gove facts for kids

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