Michael GOVE
Michael Gove yesterday insisted he had not “gone soft” on Brexit as he pledged to strive to get it “over the line” in the wake of the Tories’ disastrous local election results. The Environment Secretary told The Daily Telegraph that he opposed a customs union compromise with Labour but said hardline Brexiteers needed to “face facts” that they did not have the numbers in the Commons for no deal.
Speaking from his parents’ home in Aberdeen, he also said he had learnt from his botched 2016 Tory leadership campaign and insisted he was now a team player.
Although he refused to be drawn on whether he intends to stand again in the race to succeed Theresa May, he argued that his conduct since being “recalled from the subs’ bench” showed his fellow Tory MPS that he was trustworthy.
With his mother and father looking on, he paid tribute to them for instilling in him compassion and being unafraid to tell him “home truths” over his mistakes.
But Mr Gove said the focus should
be on getting a Brexit deal passed rather than the leadership, or “whoever succeeds Theresa” will face an unhappy period in office.
He also argued that the local council results, in which Labour lost seats in some Leave-supporting strongholds, showed Jeremy Corbyn should dump any mention of a second referendum and help the Government get a deal.
‘It’s very difficult for any of us to go through life without making the odd mistake’
Mr Gove was staying at his parents’ modest semi-detached home in an Aberdeen suburb ahead of his speech to the Scottish Tory conference in the city today.
While he is one of the star attractions at the gathering, also appearing at two fringe events, Ruth Davidson rejected a request for Boris Johnson to attend.
Mr Gove is expected to pay tribute during his speech to Ms Davidson’s leadership and argue that the Union between England and
Scotland must be safeguarded during Brexit.
Denying he had “gone soft” on Brexit by opposing no deal, Mr Gove said: “We have to face facts. At the moment the arithmetic in the House of Commons is opposed to leaving without a deal.
“There would be economic challenges. We could get through them but they would undoubtedly be there in the short term.
“The other thing is, I don’t think we should do anything which undermines the Union. The best way of bringing the country together is to leave with a good deal.”
He said Labour should have done “much, much better” in the English council elections after nine years of Tory government and blamed its mixed messages over a second referendum.
“Labour MPS will be reflecting this morning and over the weekend on the message that their voters are telling them, which is we voted to Leave,” he said.
“I hope they will recognise that they need to work with the Government in order to deliver Brexit.”
The father-of-two has rebuilt his Cabinet career after being accused of “treachery” over the manner in which he brutally ended Boris Johnson’s chances of winning the Tory leadership in 2016.
He admitted it was not “my finest hour” but said that “since then I think that I worked well with Boris in government on everything from Brexit strategy to helping stop the illegal wildlife trade”.
Mr Gove said Mr Johnson remained
‘I hope they [Labour] will recognise that they need to work with the Government in order to deliver Brexit’
“a friend for whom I have enormously high regard” and he had been “part of a team trying to ensure that we get Brexit over the line”.
“Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve been very lucky to have been recalled from the subs’ bench and I have put my heart and soul into being as good a member of the team as I can be,” he added.
Pressed whether the 2016 campaign raised questions about his character, he said: “It’s very difficult for any of us to go through life without making the odd mistake and I think the important thing is to learn from them.”
The Surrey Heath MP was born in Edinburgh but was adopted by Ernest and Christine Gove aged only four months. Now aged 82 and 79 respectively, they live in the same home they moved to when their son was eight.
He grew up in the working class Aberdonian household and he paid tribute to the “sacrifices” his parents made to allow their bright son to attend fee-paying Robert Gordon’s College.
He said his upbringing made him realise hard work was “critical”, while the sale of his father’s fish processing business in the mid-1980s instilled in him scepticism of the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy.
“But the other thing I think I learnt as well from my parents was the importance of putting other people first. At different times, there have been members of our family and friends who have gone through tough times,” he said.
“My mum and dad have always thought it’s important to be there for them so that sense of putting others first, compassion, having a big heart but not wearing it on your sleeve.”