Michael Gove is now standing

I was struggling away with a Welsh article about Brexit earlier in which one of the bits I understood was that Stephen Crabbe has as much chance of winning as a mule in the Grand National. It will be interesting to see how the first vote goes.

Doubt he will make the final two for section , well hope he doesn't ,

His new catchphrase is 'this country'. Lost count of how many times he said it this morning. I'm beginning to feel that he thinks of himself as some sort of Henry V/messiah sort of leader.

Gove was a highly irresponsible secretary of stare for Education, spending huge sums on free schools, some of them in areas where extra places were not needed. In other areas primary school class sizes were climbing alarmingly. Heard a story the other day about a young teacher teaching class of 50 with aid of a teaching assistant.
www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/11/michael-gove-warned-to-control-free-schools-spending
In the ministry of justice he has been closing down courts across the country. This is really hard for people in rural areas. In our county we have no crown court. Witnesses without their own transport are faced with extremely long bus journeys, lasting hours, to attend courts.

The Tory press is taking against him. The Sun says "Cut Off his Govelies". That's a bit low.

Thankyou Tegan ! I shall now see Slimey Gove as part of a Tenniel illustration for ever

I just do not trust the man. His speech made me squirm. Poor little me, but I will stand if you insist!!!!!!

Gove's vanity project was the introduction Free Schools - anyone could apply to start them up, whether or not there was a need in the area for more school places. State funded but operating independently. You wouldn't have to have a brain the size of a planet to work out the financial pitfalls of this. Inevitably starting up a new secondary school would need more than basic facilities. To deliver a full curriculum secondary schools normally have labs, cookery rooms, art rooms, sports facilities etc. So there would need to be a lot of money spent on acquiring a suitable building and equipping it. But undeterred people with no expertise in running schools were allowed to start up in office buildings and other unsuitable buildings. But whatever kind of building was acquired, public money would be needed to get a building and make it ready for the first intake. Then you have a problem of providing staff who can teach a range of subjects, given that your first intake might be quite low. What about class size? You ask. Well yes those might be a little low initially. All this sounding expensive? You don't say. Free schools have been a pit down which Gove and his successor have thrown money in an irresponsible way.
www.theguardian.com/education/2015/aug/25/extra-funds-free-schools-warwick-mansell

I was just laughing at his trembling voice saying that he "did his very best not to have to stand"

Like he's being dragged into it!

Not a very enticing bunch of potential PMs at all are they, given the challenges faced. Cometh the hour, where the hell is the man or woman with an appropriate CV?

Even £100m a week isn't that much, especially as the NHS is supposed to be finding £20bn in savings and already has an annual shortfall of about £8bn to maintain current services.

@ Maizie. What's a million between friends?

From Facebook today...T'was Brexit and the slimy Gove did gire and gimble in the Commons. All mimsy were the Cabinet.....

Oh, I liked citrine. I just assumed it meant sour, like a lemon

Vitriol not citrine. Pred. text.
Have just googled citrine. Yellow in colour! However, a stone that signifies prosperity. For the country or Gove?

zelo-street.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/sarah-vine-really-is-vain.html

Do you mean £100k? £100m? They'll need a lot more money for all the work permits they'll need to get for the staff.

£100 a week? That'll really make a huge difference

dd.

I don't think that's true. He's just promised the NHS an extra £100 a week if elected.

The latest news is that he is being persueded to step down!
Bugger off Michael.
Oh dear, sorry, sorry, will have to run it past er-indoors first.

I can't remember who posted that if you vote Gove you also get Sarah Vine. A warning indeed. Thanks to Google I have now remembered why I dislike her. She wrote an article for the Mail on Serena Cowdy that was pure citrine.

Isn't she a nasty piece of work. Not being a DM reader I knew little about her but it's all coming out now.
If her H becomes PM it will be interesting to read her comments on the royal residences on the duty visits I believe they will make.

Lovely link, beammeupscottie; made me smile.

I have developed a theory of a 'scruffiness factor' after a comment on twitter about May 'looking the part' (i.e of PM) and comments on here about Nicola Sturgeon's snappy dressing. Looking at party leaders over the past few decades have the scruffy ones ever lasted?

I think that Gove is too scruffy to last long, even in the, hopefully unlikely, event that he wins the leadership contest

I'm sure it did As would the Gove/Vine one we paid to refurbish. If only we could see them both for comparison.