THREAD

So, I've not been able to sleep tonight. I have a feeling it might be the prospect of Michael Gove as Prime Minister.

"Why would that be then Chris?"

Glad you asked.

#CabinetCoup #Gove #ToryCoup
So obviously we've had two years of intractable Maybot. And obvs, we're all sick of it. Her "speech" to the nation last week, delivered half an hour late, fell as flat as Boris's leadership bid in 2016. Presumably the Conservative Party will be looking for a new approach? Uh-huh.
This letter was written as a response to Gove's reaction to a letter written by 100 academics, including Manning, who had criticisms over government plans for the curriculum. Gove responded to the letter by labelling the academics "Marxists" and "enemies of promise".
Manning - "The criticism was a response to Mr Gove’s blinkered, almost messianic, self-belief, which appears to have continually ignored the expertise and wisdom of teachers, head-teachers, advisers and academics, whom he often claims to have consulted."
He continues - "We are people whose lives are devoted to helping the next generation to succeed and prosper in education, not political fanatics."

Gove's personality isn't exactly refreshing. Nor is his inclination to use smears to discredit genuine concerns.
But that's not a surprise, and it's nothing new. Gove disgracefully backed up the Daily Mail when they launched their now infamous assault against Ed Miliband's late father. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24363765
Gove was a passionate supporter of Iraq and even a fan of Tony Blair. He wrote this article in 2008, proudly claiming that :

"The liberation of Iraq has been that rarest of things – a proper British foreign policy success." https://www.scotsman.com/news/michael-gove-triumph-of-freedom-over-evil-1-1302486
Gove is a well known neocon. But he also wants to privatise the NHS.

This story from 2009 gave David Cameron a headache. Gove co-authored a book called Direct Democracy which claimed that the NHS "is no longer relevant in the 21st century." https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/aug/16/tory-mps-back-nhs-dismantling
Gove : "There are some of my colleagues in the coalition who are very sceptical of the benefits of profit. I have an open mind. I believe that it may be the case that we can augment the quality of state education by extending the range of people involved in its provision."
I mean, this could go on forever. Seriously. It might if I'm not careful. So I'm going to play a bit more Tory Bingo and then bring us to a conclusion.
"He also claimed for a £750 Loire table – although the Commons’ authorities only allowed him to claim £600 – a birch Camargue chair worth £432 and a birdcage coffee table for £238.50. Other claims in the five-month period included Egyptian cotton sheets from the White Company..."
"...a £454 dishwasher, a £639 range cooker, a £702 fridge freezer and a £19.99 Kenwood toaster."

Good for him.
Gove - “I’m no expert in trade negotiations, but I can tell you that Trump is a dealmaker and he is confident he can make a deal that is win-win for Britain and America.”

I'm no expert.

In trade negotiations.
Here's a little glimpse into the bromance. If you dig deeper I assure you, there's plenty more.

THERE'S JUST SO MUCH ON THIS GUY.

And we continue (but we near the end)
From the article : "The Campaign for Freedom of Information said the commissioner's decision had closed off two "potentially vast loopholes" which would have allowed "industrial scale evasion" of the Freedom of Information Act."
But I can't sign off on Gove without mentioning his failed bid for the 2016 leadership where he blindsided his long time ally and friend Boris Johnson in an incident that had the nation nodding at each other in unison and simply saying, "Tories, eh?" knowingly.
So in summary. Michael Gove is a genuinely dangerous prospect for many, many reasons. There are areas I didn't even touch on here. His time as Environment Secretary, for instance. And Brexit! And no, I didn't forget about Brexit.
Gove is a known Eurosceptic. Murdoch is a close ally and a huge proponent of No Deal. I can't say I'm not concerned.
However. I'm aware that if Gove gets into office, he may fight a General Election. I suspect that he has no problem with a coronation under the right circumstances and could hang onto the role. So this thread is here for general use. Apologies if it was long and plodding.
But I've genuinely enjoyed researching it all and writing it up. So thanks for taking the time to read, and keep an eye out for similar threads when I'm unable to sleep and being terrorised by thoughts of a dystopian future. :)
You can follow @Socialist_Chris.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: