Michael Gove

Who is Michael Gove?

Michael Andrew Gove is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath. He is also an author and a former journalist for The Times newspaper.

Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen and began his career as a journalist. He was first elected to Parliament in 2005 for the safe Conservative seat of Surrey Heath in South East England. He was later promoted to the Shadow Cabinet in 2007 as the Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. After the formation of the Coalition Government in 2010, Gove was then appointed Secretary of State for Education.

At its May 2013 conference, Gove was criticised by the National Association of Head Teachers, whose members condemned the climate of bullying, fear and intimidation they claimed he had created during his time as Education Secretary. The conference passed a vote of no confidence in his policies. Votes of no confidence were also passed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers at conference in March 2013, the National Union of Teachers at its conference in April 2013, and the NASUWT.