Michael Gove, a prominent member of Rishi Sunak's government, announced his resignation on Friday, becoming the highest profile Conservative lawmaker to leave parliament ahead of the July general election.
Gove, who has held various ministerial roles including education, justice, and environment, is the 77th Tory MP to declare they will not run for re-election.
The 56-year-old, who has served under four Conservative Party prime ministers since 2015, shared his decision on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"After nearly twenty years serving the wonderful people of Surrey Heath (his constituency) and over a decade in cabinet across five government departments, I have today taken the decision to step down," he wrote.
Sunak ended months of speculation by calling a general election for July 4. With his Conservatives trailing the main opposition Labour Party in opinion polls, the numerous MPs standing down is seen by some as a sign of demoralisation among Sunak's lawmakers.
Some polls give Labour leader Keir Starmer a more than 20-point lead over the Tories.
Gove, a Brexit supporter, has had a career marked by political disputes and comebacks. He was education minister in David Cameron's government before opposing him during the 2016 referendum campaign on leaving the European Union. He initially supported Boris Johnson to become the new Conservative leader before launching his own unsuccessful bid.
He joined Johnson's cabinet after the 2019 election but was sacked after telling the then prime minister his time in Downing Street was up as the 2022 government fell apart.
Other high-profile figures who have announced they will not seek re-election in July include former Prime Minister Theresa May, Northern Ireland Minister Chris Heaton-Harris, former armed forces minister James Heappey, and former defence minister Ben Wallace.
(AFP)
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.