Gove backed ‘non-Brexit’ Brexit 1 year ago – before May’s Chequers Deal

Does anyone trust Michael Gove to deliver a true Brexit?

What Michael Gove said one year ago, in June 2018

As the Conservative leadership contest reaches its Parliamentary dénouement today, Brexit Facts4EU.Org looks again at the third-placed candidate, Michael Gove. (Don't miss our article on him yesterday.)

Brexit Facts4EU.org Summary

Gove's non-Brexit Brexit

One year ago, Mr Gove put forward to MPs what he saw as a way to avoid a “no deal” exit
His idea involved staying in the EEA and therefore staying in the Single Market
It involved continued free movement of people
It included staying under the jurisdiction of a foreign court
And he expounded all of this before Mrs May’s disastrous ‘Chequers Deal’

On 25 June 2018 Mr Gove was addressing the ‘Green Chip Dining Group’, a collection of ‘moderate’ Conservative MPs and peers which he helped to set up. The idea which Mr Gove put forward was continued membership of the EEA – the European Economic Area.

So surprising was it to hear the self-styled ‘starter of Brexit’ expounding on this non-Brexit idea, that details were leaked by attendees to the strongly pro-EU Financial Times.

Here is what one MP who attended the dinner told the FT:-

“He [Michael Gove] was steering the conversation towards the EEA idea. There’s no doubt about that.”

The FT also reported that a fellow minister had taken to referring jokily to the Environment Secretary as

“St Michael of the EEA”

The FT did not reveal the above information until August – after Mrs May’s Chequers surrender treaty had been launched – in an apparent attempt to embarrass Mr Gove.

When asked by the Press Association if the reports about him backing a non-Brexit EEA plan were true, Mr Gove replied “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” In the trade this is known as a non-denial denial.

Observations

The only two candidates in the Conservative leadership campaign who received our ‘Brexit Facts4EU.Org Seal of Approval’ were Dominic Raab and Esther McVey, both of whom have been eliminated.

Brexit seal is © Brexit Facts4EU.Org

Today, in a morning and then an afternoon ballot, the field will be whittled down to just two candidates. Under the current arrangements we will then be forced to endure four wasted weeks of public hustings before the leader is finally announced in late July.

Sajid Javid voted Remain in the Referendum and is not PM material. Jeremy Hunt voted Remain and is therefore unsuitable on these grounds alone. Michael Gove voted Leave, but in our view has shown himself to be untrustworthy.

That just leaves Boris. Not ideal from a Brexit point of view, but most definitely the best of a bad bunch.

If readers would like a simple summary of EEA/EFTA membership (and why it isn't Brexit), we could publish this tomorrow. Please let us know.

Finally, if readers would like us to keep researching and publishing unique and original articles each day, we need your help. To support all our work in striving for a true, clean Brexit, quick and secure donation methods are below. Thank you.

[ Sources: Financial Times | Press Association ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, 20 Jun 2019

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Reader Comments 11

1. Patrick F , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 05:25:

Yes, please publish summary of EEA/EFTA membership.
Michael Gove, whatever happened to leaving the EU and all its institutions?

2. Mandy, Sheffield , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 05:44:

Did anyone notice about Gove that he's also normally able to dig up a relative of his to every occasion? Come a question from the public and we soon learn that apparently Gove's sister, aunt or uncle or whoever were or are in a very similar situation to the questioner's. He understands and knows it all and has deep and comprehensive life experience. And after all he started the whole Brexit thing as well, let's not forget... : ))

3. Not a Lemming , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 06:07:

Would not trust him or Hunt one little bit.

4. Mahesh Ramanna , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 06:13:

Please publish that EEA article. Important we get this settled that EEA/EFTA is not good enough.

5. Gary , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 08:23:

Gove reminds me of the child catcher from chitty chitty bang bang, a sly and very devious character. Not to be trusted.

6. R Ellison , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 08:58:

So how come the Tory Party doesn't have more Leave candidates? If the Party wanted to convince the Electorate they take our views seriously, that they have learned their lesson after selecting a Disaster (T. May), why didn't the Tories ensure a stronger line up of Brexiteers for the top job? The Tory Party is definitely heading, blindfolded, towards its own Doomsday. The lid to Pandora's Box has been opened, and we, a shocked and angry public, can see the wickedness and lies spilling out. (The latter goes for Labour too).

7. Sydney Ashurst , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 11:08:

As the saying goes, the Conservative Party 'have cooked their own Goose'.
There was only one real remainer - Dominic Raab amongst the contenders. That left a wishy-washy leaver and remainers.
Looks as though we will have to wait until October when we will be out by default, as Parliament will have no power to insist on a further illegal extension to the Article 50 TEU two year period.

8. BamBam , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 12:20:

Please publish EEA/EFTA article. the more info out there, the better. Oh and I am pretty sure Boris will backslide on all his powerful speeches and articles which have drawn in so many Brexit supporters.

9. tarien , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 13:46:

M Gove would not make a good the Pime Minister for this nation, it needs right now aBoris Johnson who can do the job and must without any quibbling move the UK out of the EU one way or another by 31st October-preferably with a no deal-although the EU/Brussels would never admit it a No Deal Brexit would give them more of a concern than it will do the UK. I would if I were Prime Minister definitely give a cabinet posts to Dom Raab and maybe Esther Mc Vey-get Javid out from the cabinet as Home Secretary and put David Davis into that position. It would be sensible to leave J. Hunt as Foreign Secretary, where he already has some credence amongst overseas countries, but keep him well away from the NHS. However if Boris is pursuaded to involve Gove in his cabinet, ensure that Gove's brain is well engaged before his mouth, and keep in a minor role to negate the chances of bungled trouble. Of course the General Election in 2020 well might alter the whole government position, but for now we all know what must happen.

10. Jon, Wales , Thursday, June 20, 2019, 21:27:

The contest is not yet over between Boris/Hunt, as that decision has to go before conservative party members before we move on.
Out of the two prospective candidates, and In my opinion, Boris will make the better PM. He was a two term Mayor of London and did some good things, but he usually stood up to the pressures of his Mayoral Office. He also injected some fun into politics. Then we had the London 2012 summer Olympics which was a huge success.
When in government, he eventually resigned on principle because of the terrible negotiations by PM May.
Boris was a huge voice in referendum debates. He was firmly, and rightly, against the new EU Treaty effectively forced upon Mrs May by the EU, which Parliament thankfully voted down three times, as it was the worst so called 'deal' in UK history.
YET BORIS VOTED FOR THAT DEAL [TREATY] THE THIRD TIME Mrs May tried to push it through (he voted against it twice before), so Boris needs to rebuild TRUST between Parliament and the electorate, as ordinary people will not stand for unacceptable parliamentary manoeuvres when the majority voted to "Leave the European Union", as on the ballot paper.
MPs have no justifiable cause to attempt to subvert the outcome of the referendum for two simple reasons - MPs legislated to give us this decision, and a majority democratic instruction to LEAVE [EU institutions] was delivered.
Boris, if he is to become Prime Minister, must leave the unaccountable EU in no doubts he WILL RIP UP THAT TREATY, and make absolutely clear we are leaving on 31 October 2019, with or without a deal, that there will be no more delays, no more excuses, no more jumping on a plane at 4am in the morning to seek permission from the Brussels masters, and so on. Boris can also say he will offer the EU a free trade deal (as Tusk once offered).
THE EU CAN TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, but will focus EU minds because the UK is a massive export market for the EU - TIME TO CALL THE EU's BLUFF?

11 comments, page 1 of 2

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