Michael Gove served as Secretary of State for Education from 2010-14 and Secretary of State for Justice from 2015-16. Anthony Seldon, David Cameron’s biographer, regarded Gove as the Cameron government’s most ‘effective minister.’
As Secretary of State for Education, Gove introduced the most sweeping reforms of the UK education system for a hundred years. Driven by the belief that unless education wasn’t improved Britain would fall behind as an economy and as a society. Gove modeled his education reforms on the trends changing in the modern economy and is a firm believer that the global race for educational excellence will define the next century.
Gove transformed the running of individual schools by extending new freedoms to head teachers - so that majority of secondary schools are now academies – essentially independent schools in the state sector. He also established hundreds of wholly new independent schools in the state system - Free Schools.
Gove was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2005. He served as Shadow Minister for Housing & Planning and Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools & Families.
On security Gove regularly attended Britain’s National Security Council and has a deep interest in the threats posed by Islamic fundamentalism. He has been briefed at the highest level, is a best selling author on Islamic terrorism, and has a good understanding of Putin’s Grand Strategy.
A journalist by profession, he has used his position as a writer for The Times and a broadcaster on the BBC to fight for greater personal freedom, a tougher line on crime, a more dynamic economy, a cleaner environment, stronger defence and a better deal for hard-pressed families.
Gove is currently writing book about how Britain can make a success of Brexit looking at the importance of media freedom, science, mission-driven public investment, planning reform, smart industrial strategy and ignoring economists in order to maximise our prosperity.
