Michael Gove

Michael Andrew Gove (born 26 August 1967) is an British politician who was the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from 2022 to 2024. In July 2019, he became the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for the Boris Johnson administration. In February 2020, he became the Minister for the Cabinet Office. He retired from politics after the 2024 general election was called.

The Right Honourable Michael Gove
Official portrait, 2022
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities[lower-alpha 1]
In office 25 October 2022 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Simon Clarke
Succeeded by	Angela Rayner
In office 15 September 2021 – 6 July 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Robert Jenrick
Succeeded by	Greg Clark
Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
In office 25 October 2022 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Nadhim Zahawi
In office 18 September 2021 – 6 July 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Nadhim Zahawi
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 24 July 2019 – 15 September 2021
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	David Lidington
Succeeded by	Steve Barclay
Minister for the Cabinet Office
In office 13 February 2020 – 15 September 2021
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Oliver Dowden
Succeeded by	Steve Barclay
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office 11 June 2017 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Andrea Leadsom
Succeeded by	Theresa Villiers
Secretary of State for Justice Lord Chancellor
In office 9 May 2015 – 14 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Chris Grayling
Succeeded by	Liz Truss
Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 15 July 2014 – 9 May 2015
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	George Young
Succeeded by	Mark Harper
Secretary of State for Education
In office 12 May 2010 – 15 July 2014
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Ed Balls
Succeeded by	Nicky Morgan
Shadow portfolios 2005‍–‍2010 Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families In office 2 July 2007 – 11 May 2010 Leader David Cameron Preceded by David Willetts Succeeded by Ed Balls Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning In office 10 May 2005 – 2 July 2007 Leader Michael Howard David Cameron Preceded by John Hayes Succeeded by Grant Shapps
Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath
In office 5 May 2005 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Nick Hawkins
Succeeded by	Al Pinkerton
Personal details
Born	Graeme Andrew Logan (1967-08-26) 26 August 1967 (age 57) Aberdeen, Scotland
Political party	Conservative
Other political affiliations	Labour (1983)
Spouse(s)	Sarah Vine ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2022)​
Children	2
Education	Robert Gordon's College
Alma mater	Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (BA)
Occupation	Politician journalist author
Website	michaelgove.com

Career

He was the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2017 to 2019 for the Theresa May ministry. He was the Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, and was the Secretary of State for Education from 12 May 2010 to 15 July 2014. He was the Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency in the United Kingdom. He was first elected in the 2005 general election.

He is a member of the Conservative Party. He was one of the candidates in the 2016 Conservative leadership election. After becoming Prime Minister, Theresa May fired Gove from the Cabinet.^[3] However, in 2017 she brought him back and made him the Environment Secretary.

He grew up in Aberdeen.^[4] He studied English at Lady Margaret Hall at Oxford University. Gove is married to Sarah Vine, a writer for The Times.^[5] They have a daughter and son. He belongs to the Church of England^[6]

On 26 May 2019, Gove announced his campaign to run for Leader of the Conservative Party in the 2019 election.^[7] He narrowly lost in third place on the fifth ballot and was eliminated on 20 June.

In July 2022, Gove was fired from the Johnson cabinet by Prime Minister Boris Johnson after Gove told him he should resign as Prime Minister.

Personal life

Gove is a Queens Park Rangers F.C supporter.

Bibliography

• Michael Portillo: The Future of the Right (1995) ISBN 1-85702-335-8
• The Price of Peace (2000) ISBN 1-903219-15-9
• A Blue Tomorrow – New Visions for Modern Conservatives (2001) (ed. with Edward Vaizey and Nicholas Boles) ISBN 1-84275-027-5
• Celsius 7/7 (2006) ISBN 0-297-85146-2

References

1. "Ambitious plans to drive levelling up agenda". gov.uk. sfn error: no target: CITEREF"Ambitious_plans_to_drive_levelling_up_agenda"._gov.uk (help)
2. "Michael Gove on teaching history". BBC Radio 4. sfn error: no target: CITEREF"Michael_Gove_on_teaching_history"._BBC_Radio_4 (help)
3. "Theresa May's cabinet: Who's in and who's out?". BBC News. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
4. "Teenage Michael Gove supported Labour" Archived 2010-05-24 at the Wayback Machine The Telegraph, 16 May 2010
5. "Michael Gove". The Conservative Party. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
6. "While Blair converts to Catholicism, only 8 ministers say they believe in God". Daily Mail. London. 22 December 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
7. "Tory leadership: Gove becomes eighth candidate to enter race". BBC. Retrieved 26 May 2019.

Notes

1. Known as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government until 19 September 2021.^[1]