Led By Donkeys stunt plays Michael Gove’s own words on prorogation back to his constituents

“Hi @MichaelGove, we’re driving round Surrey Heath today reminding your constituents what you thought about suspending parliament just a couple of months ago,” tweeted Led By Donkeys, the pranksters responsible.

In the video, dating from the time of Gove’s failed Conservative leadership bid, the MP for Surrey Heath is being interviewed on his thoughts about prorogation of parliament.

“We must also respect the fact that we are a parliamentary democracy,” said Gove in the video. “And suspending, or as the constitutional experts call it, proroguing parliament in order to get no deal through, I think would be wrong.”

Asked on the video by BBC’s Andrew Marr if he held this view because prorogation drags the Queen into politics, he clarified that in fact it would be wrong for “many reasons”.

Hi @MichaelGove, we're driving round Surrey Heath today reminding your constituents what you thought about suspending parliament just a couple of months ago. (SOUND ON - watch till the end) pic.twitter.com/mwoyP3irXq
— Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) August 29, 2019
 

He added: “I think it would be not true to the best traditions of British democracy.

“I argued that we should leave the European Union because I wanted us to take back control of our democracy. And that means putting parliament at the centre of decision making.”

However just a few weeks later, Gove, who is now a member of Boris Johnson’s cabinet, has offered no resistance to the recent shock prorogation of parliament.

The screen is the latest stunt from Led By Donkeys, who specialise in highlighting Brexiteer hypocrisies with public displays such as billboards and projections.

In a hilarious twist at the end of the video, two passers-by watching remark on “that idiot”.

“To think we’ve got that idiot as an MP eh,” says one man. “He was on the side of that.”

“Michael Gove?” said another. “Yeah. Idiot.”