General Election 2024: Michael Gove to quit as MP as Aberdeen-born Tory praises upbringing

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has announced he will not stand at the General Election.

The Aberdeen-born 56-year-old has been the MP for Surrey Heath since 2005. He has served in Cabinet jobs including Justice Secretary, Education Secretary, Chief Whip and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday as the PM told ministers he was calling an election in July, Mr Gove told him: "Who dares wins. You dared and you will win." But now he has decided to quit.

In a letter announcing the news, published on X, formerly Twitter, Gove broke the news he was quitting his role as an MP. In it he wrote: "As a child in Aberdeen I could never have imagined I would have the opportunity to sit in the Commons, let alone around the cabinet table.

"My parents, who adopted me when I was four months old brought me up to believe that the chance to help others is the greatest gift you can be given.

"That four Prime Ministers asked me to serve the country in their Governments has been the honour of my life."

The senior Conservative has joined the growing number of MPs who will not run for re-election.

A post-war record of nearly 80 Conservative MPs have stepped down ahead of the General Election as the party languishes behind Labour in opinion polls.

The total number not seeking re-election on July 4 hit 77 on Friday, surpassing the previous record of 72 who quit before Sir Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory for Labour.

In a letter to the chairman of Surrey Heath Conservatives posted on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Gove conceded he had “undoubtedly made mistakes” throughout his political career but said he had always “tried to be a voice for those who have been overlooked and undervalued”.

In a show of support for Mr Sunak as campaigning for the General Election gets under way, he added: “We have a Prime Minister who I know exemplifies the patriotism, hard work, sense of selfless service and clarity of purpose which are the very best virtues of our party.

“He also has the policies which will guarantee a brighter, more prosperous future.”

Mr Sunak’s decision to call a summer election surprised many in Westminster, who had been expecting an autumn poll.

The news has caused disquiet among some Tory MPs fearful of losing their jobs, and reports suggest some Cabinet ministers voiced concerns about the decision.

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