Michael Gove says he was ‘misrepresented’ over his previous opposition to prorogation

Michael Gove has said he was talking about something different when he previously opposed prorogation. Picture: Ken Mears - Credit: Archant

Michael Gove has said that he meant something different back in July when he opposed the prorogation of parliament.

Since Boris Johnson announced the move, the minister has been haunted by footage of a previous interview in which he said he would oppose it. But Gove, who has since accepted a position in Johnson’s government, today said that he had been talking about a different set of circumstances.

Appearing on BBC’s Andrew Marr show, the host presented him with footage of the interview from July, during the Tory leadership campaign, where Gove said: “Suspending, or as the constitutional experts call it, proroguing parliament in order to get no deal through, I think would be wrong.”

Speaking today, Gove said that the context had been different, arguing that at the time he had been against a total shutdown all the way through to October 31.

In today’s interview he defended Boris Johnson’s move by arguing that there was still plenty of parliamentary time left to discuss Brexit.

He is one of several current ministers who have been accused of hypocrisy after previously saying they would oppose prorogation during the Tory leadership election, when the issue was being widely discussed.

WATCH: The Tories’ hypocrisy over the prorogation of parliament exposedActivists have particularly targeted Gove over his statements by driving a screen through the minister’s constituency of Surrey Heath, playing the July interview footage back.

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