Michael Gove: 'I've evolved as politician and can lead Tories'

Michael Gove, who once said he was incapable of being Tory leader, has spoken of evolving as a politician and said he had the required “eye for detail” and “conviction” to become prime minister and take Britain out of the EU.

In a wide-ranging BBC interview at Hay festival, Gove spoke not just of his politics, but his upbringing in Aberdeen, the roots of his Euroscepticism, his admiration for Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, and why he once had photographs of Lenin and Malcolm X on his office wall.

Gove was being interviewed by Nick Robinson for the Radio 4 podcast Political Thinking. It had been billed on BBC TV news as the launch of Gove’s campaign to succeed Theresa May. Robinson said it was no such thing – Gove agreed to the interview weeks ago with the intention of then pottering around Hay’s bookshops the following day.

However, he is standing. When Robinson reminded him that he once said he was incapable of being leader, Gove said he had changed his mind: “I think that I’ve evolved as a politician but obviously we’ll see in the next few days and weeks who people think has what it takes in what is a testing time for the country.”

Gove batted away questions over a no-deal Brexit. “One of the things that I’ll be saying more about is how exactly we can make sure that we leave the EU. I don’t deny that it’s a significant challenge after everything that’s happened in the past three years. But throughout my career I have faced significant challenges.”

He talked about his childhood, how he had “been blessed” by being adopted and how much he owed his adoptive parents.

His father owned a fish processing business in Aberdeen that went bust, something the family blamed on the EU. “It was seeing my dad’s dream die,” he said. “The fishing industry has been devastated by the common fisheries policy. That did have an impact on me. It’s definitely a factor because I owe so much to my parents. I feel in politics I have to stay true to my roots and my background.”

Of the pictures once on the wall of his ministerial office – including Lenin, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King – Gove said: “I think that there’s always an element of humour and irony in some of the pictures I had on my wall, as well as a reminder of the importance of making a difference.”

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Gove admitted he was a huge fan of Game of Thrones. Asked who his favourite character was, he said, without missing a beat, Tyrion Lannister. “He’s the character that stands back. He’s the character who has an opportunity to reflect on some of the political currents that are moving around.

“But also at critical moments, he is the character that provides an opportunity for forces to be rallied and victory to be secured.”

He also admitted once saying Lannister was someone reviled throughout his life, thought by some to be a toxic figure and who led a small band of loyal followers. “I think that people may draw their own conclusions [on why he liked the character] … I certainly wouldn’t want to lead the witness.