Levelling Up Secretary Gove to step down at general election
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, has announced that he will not run for his seat in the coming general election.
In a letter published on 24 May, the veteran Conservative MP said he was stepping down as it is time that "a new generation should lead".
Gove, who has been the Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath since 2005, has held numerous posts in Government, including Education Secretary, Justice Secretary and Environment Secretary.
He was appointed as the Levelling Up Secretary twice, once by Boris Johnson in 2021 – who later dismissed him in July 2022 – and again by Rishi Sunak in October 2022.
He wrote: "Having the chance to serve as a Member of Parliament and Minister has been a profound privilege. As a child in Aberdeen I could never have imagined I would have the opportunity to sit in the Commons let alone around the Cabinet table.
"My parents, who adopted me when I was four months old, brought me up to believe that the chance to help others is the greatest gift you can be given. That four Prime Ministers asked me to serve the country in their Government has been the honour of my life."
In his letter, Gove laid claim to a series of achievements during his time in the Department for Levelling Up, including the Levelling Up white paper, which he described as an "unanswerable case for strengthening local communities and shifting power closer to the people".
He said the Government had delivered the "biggest transfer of powers from Westminster to local people in England for more than a century," pointing towards devolution deals and the introduction of metro mayors in the Midlands and the North.
"I was also pleased to introduce the most wide-ranging reforms to leasehold, social housing and supported housing in a generation," he added.
"We have built a million new homes in this Parliament. But just as important as increasing the supply of new homes is work to make sure every existing home is safe, decent and warm.
"That is why we have introduced measures such as Awaab's Law, to protect social housing tenants, and given tenants everywhere a stronger voice."
He also reflected on legislating to make buildings safer in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.
Another former Levelling Up Secretary, Greg Clark, has also confirmed he is standing down at the election.
Adam Carey
