Shock at minister’s joke about Gove and cocaine

THE policing minister faced anger yesterday after joking in front of chief constables about his colleague Michael Gove getting ‘excited’ about cocaine.

Chris Philp ridiculed MPs and the Tory leadership in a speech at a Crimestoppers dinner.

Mr Philp, who took office only last month, joked that a recent tip-off to the charity’s hotline was about a £200million shipment of cocaine found in a lorry, quipping: ‘Michael Gove was quite excited about that.’ When his remark about the Levelling Up

‘Completely inappropriate’

Secretary provoked shocked gasps in the audience, Mr Philp continued: ‘What? Too much?’

Attendees included HM Chief Inspector Andy Cooke, Met Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens and Chief Constable Andy Marsh, head of the College of Policing.

Mr Gove has previously admitted to taking cocaine in the past. When he was running for the Tory leadership in 2019, he told the Daily Mail: ‘I took drugs on several occasions at social events more than 20 years ago... I was a young journalist. It was a mistake.’

During his speech in the City of London, Mr Philp also made light of security leaks. He said Crimestoppers never betrayed confidences and that the ‘Government could learn from that’. Last month, it emerged that Home Secretary Suella Braverman previously faced a probe over a leak involving MI5, which failed to establish who was responsible.

Mr Philp also mocked exhealth secretary Matt Hancock over his stint on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, describing him ‘doing embarrassing things on CCTV’ in an apparent reference to the married MP kissing aide Gina Coladangelo. And he referred to turmoil at No 10 which saw Liz Truss ousted as PM after 44 days, saying: ‘I’m the fourth policing minister since July!’

One guest said yesterday: ‘It was extraordinarily illjudged. For a relatively junior minister to quip about a senior Cabinet colleague and drug-taking in front of an audience of senior police officers was completely inappropriate. It wouldn’t surprise me if we soon have a fifth policing minister.’

A Home Office source said: ‘This was a fundraising event for charity and the minister’s comments should be taken in the spirit of the event.’