Michael Gove

Michael Andrew Gove (born 26 August 1967) is a British Conservative politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Surrey Heath. He is also an author and was formerly a columnist for The Times.

Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen where he began his career as a journalist. He was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2005 election for the safe Conservative seat of Surrey Heath. He was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet by David Cameron in 2007 as Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

After the formation of the Coalition Government in 2010, Gove was appointed Secretary of State for Education. At its 2013 conference, Gove was criticised by the National Association of Head Teachers, whose members condemned the climate of bullying, fear and intimidation they said he had created during his time as Education Secretary. The conference passed a vote of no confidence in his policies. Votes of no confidence were also passed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, National Union of Teachers and NASUWT at their conferences in 2013.