Michael Gove Reveals Regret Over Boris Johnson Leadership Bid
Michael Gove has expressed regret over his role in undermining Boris Johnson's leadership bid following the Brexit referendum. Speaking to Sky News' Beth Rigby for a special Electoral Dysfunction episode marking 10 years since the 2016 referendum, Gove, now a House of Lords peer (Baron Gove), reflected that he probably did not do the right thing by publicly warning against Johnson.
In 2016, Boris Johnson was widely seen as the favourite to replace David Cameron as Conservative leader. However, Gove's opposition emerged before Johnson officially stood, leading Johnson to back Andrea Leadsom. When Leadsom withdrew, Theresa May became Prime Minister. Gove acknowledged that his late intervention effectively ended Johnson's campaign and suggested it might have been better to keep his concerns private, though he left the judgment to others.
Despite this regret, Gove stated he has no remorse over the controversial Brexit campaign claim that £350 million a week sent to the EU should instead go to the NHS, insisting those statements were true. The programme also featured Nick Clegg, who described the Remain campaign as lamentable and discussed how the Liberal Democrats might have prevented Brexit had they remained in government. Clegg further commented that Nigel Farage could become Prime Minister if a general election were held tomorrow.
This discussion was placed in the broader context of David Cameron's 2016 resignation and the subsequent Conservative leadership changes that led to Theresa May's premiership.
