Favourites get the chop says Game of Thrones fan Gove
MICHAEL Gove begged Tory members to ‘trust’ him last night as he predicted he could surge past Boris Johnson to take the leadership crown.
Launching his bid to be prime minister, the environment secretary spoke about his love for the fantasy TV series Game of Thrones – and appeared to deliver a warning to the former foreign secretary.
In an apparent reference to the leadership race, he said: ‘It is a gripping drama that surprises you. There’s a character that you think will be the hero then voomph – they are no more.’ Mr Gove said he was ‘aware of the irony’.
The environment secretary has told friends he is the ‘unity’ candidate with the best chance of taking on Jeremy Corbyn at the next election.
speaking to the BBC’s Nick robinson at the hay Festival in Wales he said he had a ‘particular mix of experience’ which means he was ready to move into No 10.
In a sideswipe at Mr Johnson, he said he should be Tory leader because he had an ‘eye for detail’.
asked whether he could be trusted despite ‘stabbing David Cameron in the front’ by joining the Leave campaign and ‘stabbing Boris Johnson in the back’ by scuppering his leadership bid in 2016, he said: ‘Yes’.
‘If you want testimony of the sort of person I am, ask those who know best,’ he said.
Mr Gove insisted he has ‘evolved’ as a politician since stating in 2016 he was ‘incapable’ of being prime minister. ‘In those three years I have been through a variety of experiences,’ he said.
‘I led the campaign to leave the european Union and that involved going up head-to-head with David Cameron and others in the debate formats that we had.
‘and being tested during that campaign, having had time to reflect when I was on the backbenches and then coming back into government.
‘I think that I’ve evolved as a politician, but, obviously, we’ll see in the course of the next few days and weeks who people think has what it takes.’
he added: ‘You do need an eye for detail – the process of taking us out of the EU requires that. You also need
‘You need to have a handbag moment’
conviction about the fact as that well.’ he Mr was Gove adopted talked as a baby by a couple from aberdeen – and said he wanted to prove to them that the sacrifices they made for him have paid off.
He said: ‘I want to prove to them the risk they took, or the chance they took on me was the right one. I believe there are things that I’m doing that show I appreciate sacrifices that they made.
‘I’m trying to demonstrate to them that it was worth it, that I can do worthwhile things and give them the reason to believe that they chose the right one. I think I’m ready to be prime minister and knowing that I have loving parents makes me feel I can put something back.’ The environment secretary said Britain could survive in a No Deal scenario, but it would be difficult and it would be better with a deal.
he said he agreed with Theresa May that ‘compromise is not a dirty word’, but said sometimes you have got to be like Margaret Thatcher and have a ‘handbag moment’.
‘she was a deeply principled but also a thoughtful and subtle politician and sometimes you do need to stand firm and sometimes you do need to, in any job, have a handbag moment where you do make it clear you are going to stand for a position and not be budged from it,’ he said. ‘at other points you need to exercise thoughtfulness and yes, compromise.’ Former farming minister George eustice, who resigned from his position over Theresa May’s Brexit deal, backed Mr Gove, saying that unlike Mr Johnson he ‘has an eye for detail’.
Taking a swing at both Mr Johnson and the other frontrunner Jeremy hunt, who had voted remain, Mr eustice said: ‘It is not enough for the next leader to “respect” the 2016 referendum result – we have tried that.
‘Nor is it enough for them to just believe in Brexit.
‘The next leader must respect it, believe in it and, crucially, have the wherewithal to deliver it.’