Really stupid question about politics

[StealthPolarBear]

What is it that Michael gove does? I've seen his title but don't know what it means! And why is he talking about education (I know he's a former education minister but he's not the only one) when Williamson should be doing that?

Kind of like minister without portfolio or deputy pm.

Gets to but in fuckup any topic

Thank you! So if he's deputy pm why was raab centre stage when Johnson was ill? (and Hancock but I get that)

Raab’s deputising was a specific arrangement due to covid, I think. Hancock was ill at the same time as Johnson. Did Gove test positive then as well?

Thanks. I don't remember gove being positive, but you're right Hancock was ill too. But I remember him being around more and taking on leadership with raab, which makes sense as health sec.

Mr Johnson recognised having him in the cabinet was better than him being outside, so he was not metaphorically stabbed in the back by him again. Unlike Mr Johnson, Mr Gove also does detail.

If Mr Gove had been PM instead, whilst he is the rudest man in politics, he would I think have responded much quicker to the pandemic.

@nosswith That’s interesting about Gove being rude..I’d heard the complete opposite and he does come across as v polite when dealing with Marr et al !

I didn't know this role existed. Will have a Google to see who did it before him.

OK heard of Oliver letwin and a couple of others but on the whole, never heard of them!

Gove is a fixer. There’s no official “deputy PM” title; it’s always been an unofficial thing (eg that David Lidington would always deputise for Theresa May). Raab was asked to deputise for Johnson (given the “First Secretary of State” title) in the summer when Johnson was ill.

Gove isn't very effective, though, is he? He hasn't got the social skills to be a 'fixer'. He's not popular with the electorate. I don't understand why he's doing the rounds this morning

He's de facto in charge because Boris Johnson is an idiot. Or Boris Johnson doesn't do detail as someone more polite than me said

Confession I joined the Tory party exclusively to vote against Michael Gove.

I also didn't want Johnson so voted for Hunt.

Technically speaking he’s Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which is a non-job enabling a minister without portfolio to sit in Cabinet.

Thanks for asking this, I had been wondering the same thing. My working hypothesis had been that he had been chosen to deliver any bad news on schools as everybody remotely involved in education already despises him, so no harm done!

Gove does the donkey work of the PM.

He's technically the Deputy PM and runs the Cabinet Office. He is effectively the facilitator of everything and its the role of the Cabinet Office to coordinate all the other departments.

Johnson favours a 'delegation' style of managment' (he gets everyone else to do the difficult stuff because its beyond him).

Gove is good at detail and lying.

Gove isn't very effective, though, is he? He hasn't got the social skills to be a 'fixer'

In fairness to him (and I don’t say that very often), he is a tried and tested politician. Like or loathe him/his politics, he has done a serious political job before all of this. The rest of them are a load of newcomers, there only because they are prepared to swear their allegiance to Brexit. I’d rather have Gove in charge of the Covid mess than Johnson.

Our A level Politics teacher (this was 15 years ago!) told us that it was a 'non job' for someone who was too senior / powerful to get rid of, a bit like putting someone on gardening leave. Looking at Wikipedia, apart from the Brexit responsibilities (which by their nature are recent, and since Gove is an arch-Brexiteer, this may be a concession to the Brexiteers in the Tory Party), the postholder can't really do much damage.

PS - no question is a stupid question

@nosswith

Mr Johnson recognised having him in the cabinet was better than him being outside, so he was not metaphorically stabbed in the back by him again. Unlike Mr Johnson, Mr Gove also does detail.

If Mr Gove had been PM instead, whilst he is the rudest man in politics, he would I think have responded much quicker to the pandemic.

Why do you say he is rude? I think he is almost excessively polite!

The Duchy job is a non job but he’s also Minister for The Cabinet Office, since Feb this year, hence he has oversight of everything and can be rolled out for anything.

www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-the-cabinet-office

Plus he has to talk about as Gavin is in hiding/ verbier/ at home with his mum/ under the patio at no 10.

@AdventureIsWaiting

Our A level Politics teacher (this was 15 years ago!) told us that it was a 'non job' for someone who was too senior / powerful to get rid of, a bit like putting someone on gardening leave. Looking at Wikipedia, apart from the Brexit responsibilities (which by their nature are recent, and since Gove is an arch-Brexiteer, this may be a concession to the Brexiteers in the Tory Party), the postholder can't really do much damage.

Thats NORMALLY the case. However the Cabinet Office has played a significant role in recent years thanks to Brexshit and the title of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster going with it, has given it more importance.

This time around Gove has a particularly influential role as he does work that normally would be overseen by the PM. I also think that his predecessor in the role, David Lidington was particularly important as he effectively did a lot of the work that was originally allocated to the ineffectial Brexit Department which was largely sidelined in the latter part of May's leadership.

Its not an insignificant post, and I would very much argue that the postholder can't do damage for that reason. It has become a position where other departments have effectively been sidelined or undermined or challenged in various ways.

In recent weeks Gove has been particularly influential in backing the Health Secretary in wanting to cancel Christmas arrangements in London and the South East against the opposition of the Chief Whip and Education Secretary. Gove wanted T4 across the country but was outnumbered. (Its therefore interesting to see him today saying the schools will stay open). So he's something of a power broker in arguments (remember Johnson is indecisive and unwilling to make difficult decisions).

[quote Fallulah]The Duchy job is a non job but he’s also Minister for The Cabinet Office, since Feb this year, hence he has oversight of everything and can be rolled out for anything.

www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-the-cabinet-office[/quote]
That really fits, as he is being

He didn’t say the schools will stay open. He said he “hopes” they will. “The plan” is still for them to stay open. So presumably if/when they don’t stay open he and the PM can point the finger at Gav/headteachers/Joe Public.

*In the BBC1 interview I saw...