Tory grandee Michael Gove said he had to “smile” and “hope for the best” when Rishi Sunak revealed his decision to call the general election.
Speaking on stage in London at the first live show of Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction tour, the former cabinet minister described how he was called into the then prime minister’s office half an hour before the full cabinet to be told the news.
But despite his own reservations, only defence secretary Grant Shapps told Mr Sunak: “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
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Telling the story to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, Labour peer Harriet Harman and Conservative peer Ruth Davidson, Mr Gove said: “There were mounting rumours the day before, various meetings had been cancelled.
“I couldn’t quite believe it would be because we were going to call a general election. There were suggestions that there might be another reshuffle.
“But I knew, not for certain, but I knew 99% when I got a call around lunchtime asking me to come in to see Rishi at 3.45pm before the cabinet that was occurring at 4.15pm.
“So I knew then if he wanted to see me… the rumours that had been gathering force throughout the day were almost certainly true.”
Mr Gove – who served as Mr Sunak’s Levelling Up secretary before standing down ahead of July election – said he entered the room alongside five other cabinet ministers: then chancellor Jeremy Hunt, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, business secretary Kemi Badenoch, Scotland secretary Alister Jack and Mr Shapps.
But asked why he didn’t join his colleague in trying to dissuade…
