Michael Gove, the former Conservative cabinet minister, has revealed that attacks against his ex-wife Sarah Vine were the most hurtful parts of his career. Gove said that Vine was portrayed as a Lady Macbeth figure during his very public struggle over whether to back Boris Johnson for Tory leader in the aftermath of the Brexit vote in 2016. He said that she was attacked at a time of great turmoil which was hurtful.
Gove, who quit as MP before the June 2017 election, spoke candidly about the most difficult moments of his political career on his new BBC Radio 4 show Surviving Politics with Michael Gove. On one programme, Gove spoke with former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson about the strengths and skills necessary for politicians during tough times. Mandelson advised new Labour MPs who won seats in the election to be very clear about what they believe in, what their project is and what they wish to achieve.
During an interview with Gove, Mandelson asked which moment Gove had found the most painful in his career. Gove recounted how in 2016, Vine accidentally emailed a private message, intended for Gove and his close advisers, to a member of the public. The email contained Vine’s advice that Gove should obtain assurances from Boris Johnson “otherwise you cannot guarantee your support” for his leadership bid. Days after the email was made public, Johnson withdrew from the race, after Gove made a surprise attempt to become leader of the Conservative Party.
Gove said that his ex-wife was “a strong woman” and that he still loved her. He disputed comparisons to Lady Macbeth, and said that the most difficult attacks to endure were those based on misunderstandings that affected people close to him. Meanwhile, Mandelson described how he had faced similar attacks on his partner because he is gay, but that he now supported politicians such as Wes Streeting. Surviving Politics with Michael Gove is available to listen to on BBC Sounds
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