Boris Johnson was running to replace David Cameron in 2016, with the support of Michael Gove, but Mr. Gove announced at the last minute that he would also run, destroying Mr. Johnson’s chances and altering the UK’s direction following the Brexit vote.
When asked if he would run against Mr. Johnson again as a potential new leader, Mr. Gove responded, “Oh God, no!”
Since 2016, when he withdrew his support for Mr. Johnson to become Conservative Party leader – and therefore prime minister – and announced his own candidacy, he has changed his tune.
As MPs quickly withdrew their support for Mr. Johnson, he withdrew from the race to succeed David Cameron, and Theresa May was elected prime minister.
Mr Gove: “I made a mistake in 2016, a misjudgement.
If you’ve been in politics for a time, like I have, you’re aware that there are always mistakes you can reflect upon.
No, I think the prime minister is doing a good job. I’ve had the opportunity of working with him when he ensured that the Brexit tangle, the imbroglio, was broken.
Mr. Johnson’s hopes were deemed doomed by Mr. Gove’s last-minute decision to compete for leader in 2016.
If pro-Brexit Mr. Johnson had won the 2016 election, the UK’s trajectory following the Brexit vote would have been substantially different.
Mrs. May, who voted against Brexit, ultimately resigned in 2019 as she fought to pass her Brexit deal through the House of Commons, and Mr. Johnson succeeded her.
Mr. Gove added that he “understands” the “concerns” of some of his Tory colleagues, but that it is crucial for the government to demonstrate that it is “focused on delivering for everyone in the United Kingdom.
