Michael Gove will become the new editor of The Spectator, after the independent watchdog on post-government jobs approved the move.
Gove was the levelling up secretary and minister for intergovernmental relations until July’s general election when the Conservative Party was ousted from power. Before that, he was minister for the Cabinet Office and he is one of the most prominent ministers of the last 14 years of successive Conservative governments.
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments has imposed a three-month waiting period from Gove’s last day in office, which was 5 July, before he can start in the role, meaning he will have to wait until October to take up the reins at the magazine.
In its assessment of the appointment, Acoba said there are “inherent risks” to the move given Gove is a former cabinet minister who had privileged access to information, influence and contacts “which may be seen to be of general use to any media company”.
But it said this risk is limited “given the transparent nature of this role with a magazine”. And it said Gove had told the committee that he would not work on commercial business matters for The Spectator, nor lobby government.
The committee also said the risk that Gove could be seen to have been offered the role as a reward for decisions made, or actions taken in office, was “low”.
Acoba said it did not consider the move to raise any particular concerns under the post-government job rules provided Gove met several conditions, including the three-month wait and agreeing to not draw on any privileged information from his time in office.
Other conditions state that, for two years from his last day in office, Gove should not:
- Become personally involved in lobbying the UK government or its arm’s length bodies on behalf of The Spectator
- Use, directly or indirectly, government contacts to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage The Spectator and its parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients
- Undertake any work with The Spectator (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) that involves providing advice on the terms of, or with regard to the subject matter of a bid with, or contract relating directly to the work of the UK government or its arm’s length bodies
However, the watchdog reminded Gove that it is his responsibility to manage the propriety of any work undertaken with The Spectator. “In particular, as a former Cabinet minister, you must be careful not to offer any unfair insight as a result of your access to information and potential influence in government,” it added.
Gove was one of the most prominent ministers during the Conservatives’ 14-year run of governments from 2010, starting his ministerial career as education secretary, from 2010-2014, in David Cameron’s administration, before a brief spell as justice secretary (2015-16) and then becoming environment secretary under Theresa May.
He was minister for the Cabinet Office from 2019-2021 in Johnson's government, a spell during which he introduced a reform plan called the Declaration on Government Reform, and then levelling up secretary from 2021.
Gove was dismissed by Johnson in July 2022 after urging the then-PM to resign. Upon Rishi Sunak’s appointment as prime minister in October 2022, Gove reclaimed the levelling up role, and ran the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities until July’s elections.
Gove, who began his career as a journalist, will follow in the footsteps of Johnson, who edited The Spectator from 1999 to 2005.