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

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

Journalist
author
politician

Signature

Michael Andrew Gove (born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a Scottish journalist, author, and politician. He served in many important government roles under different Prime Ministers. These included David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak.

He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Surrey Heath from 2005 to 2024. Michael Gove was a member of the Conservative Party. He tried twice to become the leader of the Conservative Party, in 2016 and 2019. He is now the editor of The Spectator magazine.

Early Life and Education (1967–1988)

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where Gove studied (pictured in 2017)

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 ran a fish business, and his adoptive mother worked as a lab assistant.

He grew up in Aberdeen and went to two state primary schools. Later, he attended Robert Gordon's College, an independent school. In 1983, he joined the Labour Party and helped with their election campaign.

From 1985 to 1988, he studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. During this time, he joined the Conservative Party. He was also elected as the President of the Oxford Union, a famous debating society.

Career in Journalism (1988–2005)

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

In 1996, he joined The Times newspaper. He held several roles there, including comment editor and news editor. He wrote a weekly column about politics until 2005. He also wrote for other magazines like The Spectator.

Gove co-founded Policy Exchange in 2002. This is a conservative think tank, which is a group that researches and advises on political issues.

Early Political Career (2005–2010)

David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016

Michael Gove became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Surrey Heath in the 2005 general election. He won by a large number of votes.

In 2005, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning. This meant he was the main opposition spokesperson for housing. In 2007, he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. In this role, he suggested ideas like "free schools," which would be managed by parents and funded by the state.

He faced some criticism regarding his expenses as an MP. He said his claims were within the rules and necessary for his work.

Education Secretary (2010–2014)

Official portrait, 2012

After the 2010 general election, Michael Gove became the Secretary of State for Education. This was a very important role in the new government.

He made several changes to education. He allowed schools rated as "Outstanding" to become academies. Academies have more freedom from local councils. He also changed the national curriculum for primary and secondary schools. He wanted to improve children's understanding of English literature and language. This included bringing back classic authors like Jane Austen and Dickens.

His changes led to criticism from teachers' unions. In 2013, several unions passed motions of no confidence in his policies.

Gove was also criticised for using private email accounts for government business. The Information Commissioner ruled that these emails could be subject to freedom of information requests.

Chief Whip (2014–2015)

In July 2014, Michael Gove was moved to the role of Government Chief Whip. This job involves making sure MPs vote in line with their party's policies. It was seen by some as a less senior role than Education Secretary. He stayed in this position until May 2015.

Justice Secretary (2015–2016)

Official portrait, 2015

After the 2015 general election, Michael Gove was promoted to Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. In this role, he made changes to the justice system.

He was praised for removing a court fee that had caused problems for many people. He also removed a limit on the number of books prisoners could have. He believed books could help prisoners improve their literacy and numeracy skills.

EU Referendum (2016)

Pro-European Union protesters waving two banners depicting Gove (left) and UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage (right)

Michael Gove was a leading figure in the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union (EU) in the 2016 referendum. He argued that Britain would be "freer, fairer and better off" outside the EU.

He famously said that "the people of this country have had enough of experts from organisations with acronyms saying they know what is best". This comment caused a lot of discussion.

Leadership Election (2016)

After the referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron resigned. Michael Gove decided to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party. This was a surprise to many, as he had previously supported Boris Johnson for the role.

He explained that he felt Boris Johnson could not provide the leadership needed. Gove finished third in the leadership contest, behind Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom. Theresa May became the new Prime Minister.

Backbencher (2016–2017)

After the leadership election, Michael Gove was removed from the Cabinet by Theresa May. He became a "backbencher," which means he was an MP but did not hold a government role.

During this time, he was re-hired by The Times as a weekly columnist. He also interviewed Donald Trump in January 2017, before Trump became US President.

Environment Secretary (2017–2019)

Gove with Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government's Rural Economy Secretary, in February 2019

In June 2017, Theresa May brought Michael Gove back into the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

In this role, he introduced several environmental policies:

A ban on microbeads in cosmetics and care products.
Plans for a ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2040.
A ban on bee-harming pesticides.
Rules for CCTV in all slaughterhouses.
Reintroducing beavers to the UK.
One of the "toughest worldwide bans" on ivory trade.

He was praised by environmental groups for his strong stance on these issues.

Leadership Election (2019)

In May 2019, Michael Gove announced he would run for Conservative Party leader again after Theresa May resigned. He made promises like removing the charge for UK citizenship applications for EU nationals and increasing school funding.

He finished third in this contest as well, behind Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. Boris Johnson became the new Prime Minister.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (2019–2021)

Boris Johnson, leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022

When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, Michael Gove was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. This role involved preparing for a no-deal Brexit and overseeing government policy.

He also became Minister for the Cabinet Office in February 2020. In this role, he helped coordinate the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He chaired meetings and provided updates during the lockdown.

In December 2020, he helped reach an agreement with the European Commission on post-Brexit arrangements for the Irish border.

Levelling Up Secretary (2021–2022)

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

In February 2022, he launched a white paper (a government report) on levelling up. It included plans to increase public investment and expand local decision-making across the UK.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gove announced a scheme called Homes for Ukraine. This scheme allowed British households to offer homes to Ukrainian refugees.

In July 2022, he was removed from his role by Boris Johnson during a government crisis.

Later Backbench Career (2022)

After being removed from the Cabinet, Michael Gove returned to being a backbench MP. He did not run for the Conservative Party leadership in the contests that followed. He supported Rishi Sunak in his bid to become Prime Minister.

Return to Levelling Up Secretary (2022–2024)

On 25 October 2022, when Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, Michael Gove was reappointed to his previous roles. He became Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations once more.

In February 2023, he announced "Awaab's Law". This law requires social housing providers to fix damp and mould problems quickly. This was in response to the tragic death of a child due to mould in his home.

Michael Gove decided not to stand for re-election in the 2024 general election.

The Spectator (2024–present)

In September 2024, Michael Gove was appointed editor of The Spectator magazine. He started this role in October. He also presented a radio series on BBC Radio 4 about surviving in politics.

Political Views

Michael Gove is known for combining socially liberal views, such as supporting gay marriage, with strong views on foreign policy and leaving the EU. He believes the government should not interfere too much in people's daily lives.

He has often spoken about the importance of individual worth and dignity. He has also discussed the challenges facing modern society and how to tackle inequality.

Capital Punishment

In the late 1990s, Michael Gove wrote an article suggesting he would prefer a fair trial with the possibility of the death penalty rather than an unfair trial without it. He has not repeated this view in recent years.

Foreign Policy

Gove is described as having "neoconservative" views on foreign policy. This means he often supports strong action in international affairs.

He expressed admiration for Prime Minister Tony Blair's handling of the situation in Iraq in 2003. He later described the "liberation" of Iraq as a foreign policy success.

Scottish Independence

Michael Gove believes that Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom. He thinks Scotland's strengths work well with other parts of the UK.

Israel and Jewish People

Gove has described himself as "a proud Zionist". He supports Israel and the Jewish community. He believes that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel is anti-Semitic.

First World War

In 2014, Gove criticised some interpretations of the First World War. He argued that some views were designed to make Britain and its leaders look bad. Some historians disagreed with his interpretation.

Religion

Michael Gove is a Christian. In 2012, he supported a plan to give every school in England and Wales a copy of the King James Bible. He said this was because of its historical and cultural importance.

In 2015, he wrote that being a Christian in modern Britain can sometimes lead to people feeling sorry for you or dismissing your views. He has said his faith helps him focus on helping people improve their lives.

Personal Life

Michael Gove met his wife, Sarah Vine, in 1998 when they both worked at The Times. They married in 2001 and had two children. They divorced in January 2022.

He has lived in several areas of London, including Earl's Court, Notting Hill, and Mayfair. After becoming Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, he lived in a government flat at 1 Carlton Gardens.

Images for kids

Michael Gove's signature

Michael Gove facts for kids

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