Michael Gove has admitted he “made a mistake” when he ran against Boris Johnson in the 2016 Conservative leadership campaign – and said he would not do so again.
The levelling up secretary told Sky News he “enthusiastically” voted for the prime minister to stay in Monday night’s confidence ballot.
His tune has changed since 2016, when he withdrew his support for Mr Johnson to become Conservative Party leader – and therefore prime minister – and announced his own candidacy at the last minute.
As MPs then rapidly withdrew their support for Mr Johnson, he chose not to run and Theresa May won the race and became PM.
Mr Gove told Sky News’ Kay Burley: “I made a mistake in 2016, a misjudgement.
“If you’ve been in politics for a little while, as I have been, then you know, there are always mistakes you can look back on.
“But no, I think the prime minister is doing a good job, I’ve been privileged to work alongside him when he made sure the Brexit entanglement, the imbruglia was broken.”
Mr Gove’s last-minute decision to run for leader in 2016 was seen as scuppering Mr Johnson’s chances.
Asked if he would run against Mr Johnson as a potential new leader again, he said: “Oh god no!”
