Johnson thanked Gove for ‘a polite bullet’ after telling him to quit

Boris Johnson thanked Michael Gove for having “delivered the bullet in a polite way” when he visited Downing Street to tell him to resign, a new book reveals.

On the morning of

July 6 this year, Gove met the then-Conservative leader in Number 10 and told him: “Boss, I’m really sorry to say this but I think you should announce you’re standing down today.”

The Fall of Boris Johnson, by Sebastian Payne, reveals how the Prime Minister sarcastically thanked Gove, telling him: “You’ve delivered the bullet in a polite way.”

But he vowed to battle on, saying: “I’m going to fight, they’re going to have to prise me out of here.”

Gove called Johnson that evening to ask if he was resigning, only to be told: “No, Mikey mate, I’m afraid you are. I’m going to have to ask you to step back from your role as levelling up secretary. I’m reconstructing the government.”

Johnson resigned the next morning and Gove was later reappointed to his role.