MICHAEL Gove, who dramatically scuppered Boris Johnson’s chances of becoming prime minister, has made a shock return to the UK Cabinet in Theresa May’s post-election reshuffle.
The appointment of the Scot – with whom Mrs May clashed bitterly over tackling extremism when they were in government together under David Cameron – will be seen as further evidence of her need to shore up her position after seeing the Conservatives’ Commons majority wiped out.
The Edinburgh-born MP for Surrey Heath, a former justice and education secretary, has become the Environment Secretary, replacing Andrea Leadsom, who takes up the role of Commons Leader.
Mr Gove, 49, appears to have been rewarded by Mrs May for his expressions of public loyalty to her throughout the election campaign.
“I genuinely didn’t expect this role,” he said. “I am delighted to be part of the Government. I am delighted to be able to support Theresa May to ensure that we have a Government capable of delivering on the people’s wishes.”
But the atmosphere inside the No 10 Cabinet room will be tense today, not only because of the recriminations following the Tories’ poor electoral performance but also because the two leading Brexiters, who campaigned for weeks side by side, will be facing each other after much bad blood between them.
Last night, the Prime Minister, when asked if the return of such an influential adversary as Mr Gove proved she was weakened and a “dead woman walking”, replied that she had “brought in talent from across the whole of the Conservative Party”.
She said: “This is a Government that is going to be governing for everyone. We want a country that works for everyone.” Asked if she felt shell-shocked following the election, she added: “What I’m feeling is that there is a job to be done and what the public want is to ensure that the Government is getting on with that job.”
When it was suggested she might now simply be a caretaker premier, she replied: “I said during the election campaign that, if re-elected, I would intend to serve a full term. But what I’m doing now is actually getting on with the immediate job. That’s what the public would expect.
“They want to see Government providing that certainty and stability at what is a critical time for the country.”
Meantime, Mr Johnson, tipped as favourite to succeed Mrs May as Prime Minister when she steps down, dismissed as “complete b******s” suggestions that he was already manoeuvring for her job.
Using a WhatsApp message, the Secretary of State told Conservative colleagues: “Folks, we need to calm down and get behind the Prime Minister. She won more votes than anyone since Margaret Thatcher. I can’t remember us having anything like 43 per cent of the vote.”.
Mr Johnson’s eight-point message said Tory MPs must “stop the narrative” that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn “somehow won this thing”, noting that he “barely did better” than Gordon Brown in 2010.
Despite his protestations to the contrary, the timing of the message, and the subsequent public release of it, will do little to quash speculation that Mr Johnson is setting the scene for a potential leadership bid.
Earlier, George Osborne was among several senior Tories who made clear that it was only a matter of time before their weakened leader stepped down. The former chancellor, who was sacked by Mrs May last year, described her as a “dead woman walking” and said she could be gone in a matter of days.
Andrew Mitchell, the former international development secretary, said: “There is no disguising the fact it was an absolutely terrible campaign.
“I have fought nine general elections as a parliamentary candidate and this was by far the worst.”
However, he continued: “For now, it would be grossly irresponsible to seek to undermine her premiership. We have an absolute duty to have a Queen’s Speech and to form a government. It’s incumbent on all of us to give the Prime Minister very strong support in carrying out those two vital tasks.”
Today, Mrs May is set to address Tory MPs at a meeting of the party’s 1922 backbench committee.
Committee chairman Graham Brady told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: “I’m sure there will be lots of colleagues wanting to air their concerns about the way the campaign was run and the situation in which we find ourselves, which clearly isn’t where we wanted or expected to be following the General Election.”
Also today, the 13 Scottish MPs, dubbed “Team Ruth”, will gather at Westminster for their first strategy meeting, chaired by group leader David Mundell.
The Westminster group will vote as a distinct Scottish bloc.
A senior Tory source said: “The boost in Scottish Conservative numbers will extend Ruth and David’s influence. “It will put a greater Scottish perspective on things.”
Mr Mundell, who had been the sole Scottish Tory in the Commons since 2005, was last night reappointed as Scottish Secretary. Underlining Mrs May’s weakened position, the reshuffle saw no-one sacked and most of the senior portfolios were unchanged.
However, Damian Green, the loyal former work and pensions secretary, was promoted to first secretary of state, effectively the deputy Prime Minister, taking charge of the Cabinet Office.
Over the weekend, there was confusion over whether or not a confidence and supply deal between Downing Street and Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionists had been sealed.
No 10 had suggested it had but later statements said talks were continuing.
Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, said good progress had been made. She will meet Mrs May in Downing Street tomorrow. It is still unclear what price the Northern Irish party will seek to extract from the Conservative Government to ensure it supports the PM in key Commons votes.
Elsewhere, Mr Corbyn, who is set to perform his own shadow cabinet reshuffle, declared over the weekend: “I can still be Prime Minister.”
He suggested there could be another election within six months and Labour would be “ready at any time” to fight it.
Asked if he was in it for the long term, the Labour leader, 68, added: “Look at me, I’ve got youth on my side.”
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