MPs grill Michael Gove over cronyism in dodgy levelling up projects

Michael Gove was in front of the Business and Trade Committee this week, where he was stumped by questioning related to the Tees Valley Freeport.
Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley and now Lord Ben Houchen has come under fire for the sale of land in the area of the new freeport to friends of his for just £1 per acre, which was sold off at a massive profit.
Michael Gove struggled to answer questions by MPs over the controversy.
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[@stephengraham1153]

£1 an acre. Surely this is illegal. Why aren't the National Crime Agency investigating?

[@thecommonsensechannel6268]

Put it this way farmers can’t buy land at that rate

[@Piggelgesicht]

Surprisingly, for once in my life, I would and could have paid twice the amount per acre. Now that's a sentence I never dreamed I'd be able to write.

[@awtistiaeth4699]

For the same reason as tRump is still not locked up in the USA and people in Westminster stuck two-fingers up to the citizens of the Dis-United Kingdom during Covid and so on and so on. One rule for the uber-rich, and one rule for the rest of us mere serfs.

[@alanquinn99]

This x 10^6.

[@stannats2637]

Just get itv to make a drama about it and then the law will react 😂

[@jackoniel7864]

One of the slimiest politicians this country ever had the bad luck to produce.

[@davidswarbrick3601]

very bad dad dancer and a disgrace

[@silky-1971-]

One of many corrupt millionaire politicians.

[@Passive-Menis]

That’s quite an award with Mogg and Lee Anderson!

[@karlweisenberger3638]

Gove, he is still a weasel. This guy is beyond despicable. How people vote for him, shows what is wrong with the UK. Greetings from Australia.

[@chrissaltmarsh6777]

Don't be rude to weasels.

[@zakgault4209]

​@@chrissaltmarsh6777 I imagine they would be horrified to be compared to such a cretin.

[@breamoreboy]

Voting in the UK is primarily for the colour of the party rosette, not the individual. Here in Dorset a dead frog, a conker or my bicycle could win if wearing blue. However my favourite was suggested on the Bournemouth Echo web site some years ago, a speak your weight machine.

[@Matt-ou7tu]

​@@breamoreboyPeople voted for Boris Johnson though.

[@breamoreboy]

@@Matt-ou7tu The pathological liar Bonking Bozo wore and still wears a blue rosette so I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to say.

[@bjrnhjjakobsen2174]

The British upper class have free access to public funds - other countries calls it corruption.

[@YankMcGill]

Cronyism is a Tory word for Corruption, Levelling up is a Tory word for Cronyism.

[@user-us8le6lu4h]

They even advertise themselves as CON

[@alexhanson6577]

I would say it's their word for theft. That's all they are, robbers and thieves in suits.

[@JustAlanJohn]

Not just the conservatives Liebor as well and many MPs from all three parties.

[@user-bu9nb8wr6e]

Its stealing nothing else. They had an asset worth millions that they sold for pennies to a friend.

[@kiwihib]

@@JustAlanJohn Well have you ever thought of being comedian, no, good because you suck with this both sides shit.

[@randomdaveUK]

I'd love an acre per £1 please. Could build a house instead of waiting for the houses this government doesn't build

[@jonemery8324]

They will be signing up illegal immigrants off the boat for that scheme ...

[@FEAR.LESS.]

Statement of the decade. Thanks

[@andreagascoigne6735]

@randomdaveUK ....Exactly ! 👏👏

[@Alex-cw3rz]

And you wonder why inequality increases when the rich get land for £1 per acre.

[@user-cy3mj5rd1d]

Has to be prison time for these criminals

[@SplendidProgress]

WHY ISN'T THIS FRONT PAGE NEWS???!!! Actually I know why, we live in a broken country broken by a corrupt ruling class

[@kevinhayes7830]

Because the media owned by billionaires are fully in on it they don't want you to know they just point at the most vulnerable in society and spread hate 😎👍

[@vernonrabbetts4845]

Because no-one semi famous is fucking someone who wants to be demi famous. Or Nigel Fuckface isn't talking culture war bullshit, again. So you won't buy the newspaper... ...Private Eye has covered this every fortnight for at least two years, when did you last buy an issue?

[@James-bc1jk]

Because Google the MPs names and check how many own or have shares in most of the main media channels otherwise they are owned by the rich that pay these idiots in government if you think you are free then you need to wake up

[@user-sd3ik9rt6d]

Who owns the papers? Who runs the media? Like protects like.

[@Lynnefromlyn]

Right wing media.

[@timghilks7666]

nothing to see here, no corruption here, look over there, immigrants

[@mrnice7570]

And big dogs

[@dondoodat]

Mmm, talk dinghy to me......

[@supernoodles91]

You got it!

[@stephengraham1153]

And homeless people who have made a "life choice"

[@end179]

look over there crustacean deaths

[@hyperbiped9913]

Gove is the master of talking at length and saying nothing while distracting you with inappropriate gesticulations.

[@anthonypert574]

And Johnson

[@martintremethick8370]

Tory, cronyism and corruption are now words that are interchangeable.

[@ReapermanUK]

has always been that way, it goes all the way back to the start of the party

[@allenmontrasio8962]

The utter arrogance of this man is mind-boggling

[@martinu6]

Is this slimy toad changing colour?

[@natmol1595]

A protected gang menber and confidence trickster

[@josephkerrigan733]

Why wouldn't he be arrogant? He knows he's going to get away with it and has probably already made a fortune.

[@allenmontrasio8962]

@@josephkerrigan733 indeed, I blame it on the people who elected him.

[@dean8282]

Greed is good and look after number 1. All from Thatcher.

[@shaunm3206]

Private Eye have done a lot of reporting on this. Cronyism on steroids.

[@James-bc1jk]

Yet nothing is done they just keep taking our tax money

[@Noellegable]

Yes, private eye does fall into the crony camp

[@andreagascoigne6735]

Yes - please see Richard Brooks' reporting in Private Eye about this : they have a podcast also, entitled "North South"

[@merlings]

Basically the council could be making £143mil a year but the tories told all local authorities they must sell all the property they own .

[@douglastodd1947]

Local Authorities OWN Nothing , it All Belongs to The People,, Councillors administer the Business on behalf off Local Communities.

[@fossilfishleg9188]

Just let me waffle on and try not to incriminate myself. Gove’s whole career.

[@ATHLDN]

He should be behind bars. He mentions integrity.....what???

[@Hascienda27]

Oh come off it and stop getting surprised

[@suzilouden5964]

Total transparency - these f**cking clown.....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@alanquinn99]

It's fraud. And yes, prison is the only thing that can come close to justice.

[@davidswarbrick3601]

what a lovely thought of gove slopping out

[@Thanos1908]

@@Hascienda27 How about you stop being apathetic about it instead?

[@keithmiller1467]

tories need prison time

[@eljay5746]

They just can't help themselves in lining the pockets of their cronies.

[@Majikfish]

Make an ITV drama about it and somebody might pay attention. This is what I’ve learned about our system in the last month and a half.

[@carlarthur4442]

Good idea , like they did about the post office scandal 🙄

[@Majikfish]

@@carlarthur4442 literally the point I was making

[@grahameburnip5880]

Why do I feel like I’ve been slimed every time Gove speaks.

[@phillipdale6464]

How is Gove still in politics ? I despair with the quality of people representing us , he is a duplicitous,backstabbing hypocrite.Just answer the question and stop waffling.

[@tonybrett5209]

He knows where skeletons are buried.

[@franzmordhiem670]

alas that is why he is still there..he is a marvellous politician...he lies, avoids answering, speaks constant waffle, dodges, evades, ducks, cowers, squirms.,smirks, grins, while all the time considering everyone his inferior..

[@cosximxaxfan]

Imagine if we still put people in stocks and chucked things at them …. The que for this little prick would never end

[@castoputa]

Talking shit runs in his genes

[@Sjpaine1974]

This sort of stuff makes me sick to my stomach and nothing will get done about it broken Britain and I'm ashamed to be English

[@davekelly7165]

Can anyone explain or justify how they only paid £1 per acre? I'm guessing the normal value per acre in the local area must be somewhere in the region of £40-50k

[@paul8161]

I'm sadly not surprised at anything dodgy this Conservative government does , the political system needs reforming and this self serving system needs out lawing, its never a good look for any government where they consistently serve themselves over the taxpayer.

[@nicklang3018]

Thanks for bringing this back up,it really shows how terrible investigative journalism has become in the UK, this would have been all over the news in a normal nation.😢😢😢

[@dondoodat]

It would be headline news in the UK if it was anyone but the Tories doing it.

[@staceyjinuk9714]

​@@dondoodat I disagree, the journalists were just as problematic and parroting government spiel when Tony Blair and Labour were in power. But this has been a deeply problematic since the invention of the television. The BBC was invented to feed propaganda into our homes.

[@timbeech2056]

It doesn't pay in the modern World (except for Private Eye, somehow) but it also doesn't seem to make much difference. Seems like there's a sleaze and gainsaying overload where people now just ignore all this shit. They don't have the time, capacity or will to check all the evidence themselves so if you lie hard enough about everything it just looks like one person's word against another and looks like a component of party politics to the bystander. The fix isn't journalism. There's a select committee here that know all about this and have plenty of evidence but only the power to give him an awkward conversation They don't even make it that awkward. As an oversight setup that's just bullshit. MPs cannot police MPs.

[@daveoaktowers]

Private Eye have been all over this

[@theswiv]

Private Eye is well worth the subscription. This and the Post Office scandal both well covered and for some time

[@rodericde876]

It’s a bit thick when a person with no integrity says he has complete faith in the integrity of others.

[@johnwilliamson3228]

He couldn't find integrity in the dickshunerry 😆

[@angryjohn5754]

"I can't answer that question" What I mean is I won't answer that question in case I incriminate myself, as to what a scum bag I am, and corrupt as hell and wouldn't want to condemn a political ally and crony! One bent Tory protecting another bent Tory!

[@adylavis8091]

When facing aligations of wrong doing, all politicians should face a court with real consequences. They laugh in our faces, knowing full well they will get away with just about anything.

[@mikeclifford7740]

Ask him why the NHS have to buy their beds through one company that are charging at least 3 times the actual value of them.

[@bereal6590]

That's why the money going in not only isn't sufficient, the Tories are funnelling it out the back door to private organisations. From cleaning companies, drug companies to bank nurses. It's all so they make money for themselves and their mates

[@Lynnefromlyn]

And who owns those companies? And which Tory MPs sit on the board of directors of those companies?

[@dm4728]

They don't, each NHS Trust is free to put this out to public tender.

[@elizabethdavis9119]

@@dm4728 But they still chose mates!

[@DPK12]

Can you name this provider?

[@dodgyscampton5668]

Cronyism? Corruption surely?

[@michaelspencer6318]

Cronyism is the way MPs say Corruption ,i believe that they are not allowed to accuse people of corruption for some weird reason

[@user-bu9nb8wr6e]

Stealing

[@samanthagarbettcharles4205]

Slimey lier

[@blairrobert3438]

They're their own class until people actually make an effort they'll change nothing, Labour by the second or third year will be just as odious. It's a class of people fighting over each other to loot.

[@J-a-c-k-0]

they need to be held accountable,

[@bob23301]

This is criminal corruption plain and simple, Starmer needs to start bringing criminal cases against them all once he is in.

[@bereal6590]

He can't force it but he can allow the crime agency as much rope and resources that they need. He is going to have a hard job sorting the nation with all the debt we now have and the utter mess

[@monkeyboyclyde]

He'll do fk all as usual

[@joolzhillman4385]

He didn't stop savil,so why would he do anything about anything!

[@bob23301]

@@joolzhillman4385 Did the BBC and police force for decades bring evidence for him to bring charges against Savile, or are you saying hearsay was enough to charge and prosecute Savile....i mean talk about a attempt to deflect that goes no where.

[@danielriddell441]

Starmer is in on the scams

[@normankyle7831]

It's time to start jailing the corrupt cants.

[@alanquinn99]

It saddens me that prison was not mentioned in the entire exchange.

[@ozjob]

Why would it? These are wealthy people, they don’t go to prison. It’s not a thing.

[@getheroutofthetruck]

Jeffrey Archer? @@ozjob

[@ozjob]

@@getheroutofthetruck well done an exception. Barely the rule.

[@philhunt168]

If Gove wanted a thorough investigation he should have allowed it to go to the NAO and not given it to a bunch of his cronies.

[@johnjephcote7636]

In the end he has no defence except to say that the investigation is politically motivated.

[@SkyEcho7]

100% agree but they couldn't restrict the scope or drag out a NAO investigation beyond the General Election like they can & do with inquiries Clearly there's something crooked going on because . the difference in land value over a year . clearance & clean-up costs v scrap valuation . they're giving Richard Brooks, Private Eye, the runaround - Big mistake on their part

[@Jack-uy7ie]

It always happens. Feltham resginalling project in 2018 I personally found the Network Rail guy responsible for awarding the contract rigged the points system in order to give it to a company he once worked for. Over 200 people lost a job indirectly over that decision. Barely got a mention in the industry newspaper.

[@andymcpandy2128]

He damn near quoted Mayor West "That's a good question and I'm glad you asked it, because without questions all we'd have are answers."

[@edmurth]

I never understood why anyone believed the Tories on levelling up, it would be bad enough if they had just shown their usual lack of care for large parts of the country but the corruption of this government is beyond staggering and somehow Gove is usually involved at some stage.

[@sammydingdong4540]

Simple most people are as dumb as rocks..............

[@stephengraham1153]

To anyone outside of politics the very fact that public land is sold at £1 an acre should be an outrage. How Gove manages to distance himself from the transaction by refusing to comment because of an investigation is breath-taking. Would he sell his soul for a mere £1?

[@ngiles1000]

You not realised, they got no soul

[@ngiles1000]

You not realised, they got no soul

[@schester159]

​@@stephengraham1153 Agreed. Gove stressed several times that the investigation is "independent" yet ignored the point raised here that he prevented the National Audit Office (NAO) from conducting the probe.

[@alansdorsetfossils4028]

Daylight robbery of the tax payer. It can't be anything else. I hope this situation comes to a fair conclusion and if corruption is proved that those individuals get prison sentences.

[@paulschonewald4735]

This will only get worse when the regional airport redevelopment details with the same cronies involved come out in full, lining their own pockets in full view.

[@neilwhite6305]

An immediate suspension of all taxpayer contracts pending a public inquiry

[@izzytrue8630]

The weasel is lying ... again!!!

[@adamgoulder8019]

The sooner Gove is ousted from power, the better.

[@paulchivers9255]

@adamgoulder8019 if labour included their own they’d manage to fill the whole paper and not just the ads section. Regardless of the party, they all piss in the same pot

[@neilwhite6305]

Why not check his offshore bank account

[@terencequinn2682]

@@paulchivers9255- this is the kind of statement that keeps crooks in power, ‘they are all crooked’ says the feeble minded, then “ so I’ll vote for this crook because he’s a bigot/racist/ Tory crook like me”

[@djmarti7773]

And jailed with his comrades

[@charleswilliams4059]

The damage has been done and the Tory party would be saying ...mission accomplished

[@kevbrown2532]

The word Tory derives from the Irish word for theif, vagabond, etc. With this in mind they are simply living up to their name.

[@kevinsmarts9953]

Don't go blaming us for them. We Irish hate them Tories far more and for far longer than you lot.

[@cobbler40]

This a corruption at a high level even for the Tories !

[@scoates9910]

A weasel of the highest order.

[@NeilBlaiberg]

So, set up an inquiry, make sure it never finishes, and then you can dodge all questions.

[@DW-indeed]

He's a slimy mf isn't he. Setting up deniability that at this point is quite implausible.

[@prideofdurham4776]

Not levelling up , it is levelling over.Tories want to bring back serfdom with Lords of the Manor having us plebs poor paid , cold and hungry touching our forelocks and thankful for the crumbs they throw at us.

[@gnothiseauton8684]

Prison

[@RHH7288]

The fuckin swagger he has when he's talking about his best mate.

[@MrDavey2010]

Gove keeps flattering his inquisitors to deflect their questions . What a slime ball!

[@user-px3sw2up4p]

He's obviously been taught these elaborate hand gestures and their supposed meaning to the observer but I just wish that he had been taught how to tell the truth.

[@jacquipope6222]

Constant thisting!

[@Zippipus]

Lies. Lies and damned lies!

[@beautybuzzz3718]

Answered the questions like a true tory politician: pure lip service without actually answering the question or taking any accountability 😒 Gove the charmless 🐌

[@angryjohn5754]

Not the word I'd use 🤣

[@beautybuzzz3718]

@@angryjohn5754 im trying my best 5o be polite about it 🥲

[@TerriObrien-mi5rx]

Absolute BS 🤡🤡🤡🤮

[@lindapenlington1730]

Corruption

[@harrydebastardeharris987]

I know they are required to be polite to people like Gove but it’s like being nice to a death camp commander.

[@redmed10]

Apparently the UK public don't mind conservative cronyism. They've voted for it for the last 13 years. All the information you need is available on the Internet. This is how capitalism works. It's all about capital rather than labour.

[@MiPointIs]

Very slippery customers who are in the process of bankrupting our country and now looking to take us into war!!

[@karimparker1323]

What’s the point of all these enquiries ? Genuine question. Who ever goes to prison.

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

Nobody, they take far too long, and by the time they finish nobody is around to carry the can. Obfuscation is one thing the Tories are brilliant at.

[@djquantize]

it's theatre, 9:57 "Parliamentary privilege grants certain legal immunities for Members of both Houses to allow them to perform their duties without interference from outside of the House. Parliamentary privilege includes freedom of speech and the right of both Houses to regulate their own affairs."

[@karimparker1323]

@@djquantize in other words they are effectively above the laws they set for the rest of us.

[@djquantize]

@@karimparker1323 na it all good, they "sElf rEguLatE". Posh version of trust me bro, let me hold your phone for a minute.

[@ecoworrier]

Why do the Tory government need so many enquiries?

[@MrArthand]

WHEN EVERYONE WAKES UP AND SEES CORRUPTION FOR WHAT IT IS ,WE WILL ALL PAY LESS TAX !

[@gerhardaigner5108]

There are investigations in so many cases concerning the duties of this government and non of the members of the government cannot answer any questions because of an ongoing inquiry. How crazy is that.?

[@jasonthompson7378]

I need to know why does people don’t go to jail!!!! How on fucking earth is this allowed to happen!

[@Kapooie22]

Because we’ve been divided as a society, it’s all about me me me and the “us” is being intentionally dissolved in order to have control over the masses via social media etc etc.

[@Zippipus]

A government minister without an opinion - what a surprise!!!😅

[@sids5002]

Simple question sbout publicly available accounts. How is he not in prison, let alone still an MP. Appalling!

[@123abc368]

Let’s do an independent investigation so we can not answer any questions for months or years

[@stephengraham1153]

To everyone else the answer is simple and obvious and can be answered in less than 10 seconds.

[@paul8161]

Michael gove and the whole government have pretty much built careers around dancing around the head of a pin 📌.. its no wonder any kind of progress takes so long in this country,, these people want to talk it to death in the hope by the time they finished speaking your,l have forgotten the original questions they were asked.

[@thepeadair]

So, to be clear, he "would vigourously defend" the selling of land at £1 per acre which subsequently realised £50m of profits to friends.

[@Rosbif06600]

Labour need to take out full page ads in all papers, naming and shaming the corruption.

[@samanthagarbettcharles4205]

Kear Starmer wont do that he,s as dodgy as these scummy tories

[@YA-hm5zy]

Keir is cut from the same cloth. Only Corbyn would have delivered real change. That's why they made sure he wasn't going to win.

[@jednmorf]

Keir starmer would be top of list there is no opposition in british politics last one we had was Guy Fawlkes

[@bereal6590]

@@samanthagarbettcharles4205 ridiculous

[@bereal6590]

@@YA-hm5zy he didn't win did he, so let's move on

[@claudiafigueiredo4979]

£1 acre can the tax payer buy some of this land off course not

[@uk145]

You sold it for £1 /acre unfortunately. So did I.

[@garemacquarrie6705]

So shouldn't we buy Goves lands and houses for £1 an acre

[@yt.personal.identification]

Criminal. ... but austerity is needed, they say.

[@elizabethdavis9119]

I would be interested to know how many enquiries are in progress? “ I can’t comment or answer questions until the enquiry is finished” How many years & cost will all these enquiries take? Frightening Gove believes what comes out of his mouth.🙄

[@Kapooie22]

An apology is NOT enough

[@raypurchase1239]

Amazing Gove still keeps his job.

[@jonemery8324]

Amazing none of them are in prison.

[@chadchaddingson4675]

@@jonemery8324 not really, it seems pretty standard.

[@bubbsboy]

any normal citizen would have got 25 years plus@@jonemery8324

[@charliearmour1628]

Crooks.

[@lewiskeeffe8649]

They sold off HS2 land sites too.

[@fang_xianfu]

Have British governments always tried to use inquiries and as a way to try to get a story off the air for a while and establish plausible deniability? "Sorry, I can't talk about that." If it's not a new tactic, how come this government is so bad at it?

[@dondoodat]

"Sub-Judassy"

[@monkeyboyclyde]

Because they don't care enough to make it convincing. They know it will all be forgotten next week and at worst they can just retire and face no consequences

[@cobbler40]

Yes !

[@johnbishop2342]

How much shorter and cheaper would these enquiries be , if people like Gove, just spoke like normal people and answered the questions asked, instead of continually making sure that they don’t say anything to incriminate themselves or their colleagues, and they try to remember what answer they gave last time , so as to be consistent in their covering up. “ political “ speak should be outlawed, and straight talking and more yes or no answers should be made compulsory, then less lies and covering up would be made easier.

[@roberttaylor2058]

Exactly - Lying or evasive politicians should be fined and repeat offenders jailed. It would be easy to set up an independent panel to fact check them or to rate their responses to questioning

[@jimmydoyle7904]

They hide behind an enquiry all the time 😢

[@user-xd9yo3le7o]

Why did the Tories get rid of the Audit Commission?.

[@hwica2753]

Their response is always to set up an enquiry knowing that it will take so long to report that everyone will have forgotten about it.

[@I-am-not-a-number]

The site is part of the Teesside Freeport zone, where businesses enjoy tax breaks and lower tariffs, and the redevelopment project has already received over £300m of Government funding and loans. Hardly a Freeport is it?

[@mikeclifford7740]

Free for them

[@bereal6590]

That's why they wanted Freeport's. It's why other nations have rejected them because they're hubs of tac avoidance, corruption, no workers rights and destruction of the environment

[@schester159]

Fraudport ?

[@TerriObrien-mi5rx]

Lock Gove up 🤡🤣

[@californiadreamin8423]

Well this is all very cozy, listening to Lavery waffling on, and then Gove waffling on even more. No wonder we’ve had 14 years of Tory inaction over the Post Office extortion scandal.

[@stephengraham1153]

Good point. I have to ask myself how many times, over the last fourteen years, did the opposition ask any questions at PMQs about the latest Post Office scandal.

[@Lynnefromlyn]

@@stephengraham1153they did.

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@stephengraham1153 Admit it. The Tory government are only taking action now, blowing more taxpayers money at a problem they had the power to solve, because a General Election is looming , and they’re trying to blow smoke in the face of the electorate who are about to consign them to the proverbial ditch along with Boris Johnson. 14 years of unfettered Tory misrule and you’re trying to blame the political opposition who have minimal power, with your drivel.

[@stephengraham1153]

@@LynnefromlynSo how many times was this injustice raised during PMQs over the last fourteen years? If the opposition (and by this I mean Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP) had pursued this disgraceful treatment of Post Masters vigorously with the tory government why has it only been recognised now? Why does it take a TV program for our politicians to pull their fingers out?

[@SkamGame]

Treason.

[@daveoaktowers]

Gove: wait for the report Report states its a bad deal with no value for money. Gove: I do not accept the outcome of the report

[@martinsnell72]

Remember Gove’s retort pre-Brexit that one did not require expert opinion. This is another example of the same attitude.

[@muirislandjim453]

This is insane

[@anthonyseye]

Has Michael Gove ever answer a question about anything?

[@garemacquarrie6705]

Course he can... 'Want a line Mike?' and he answers 'yes'

[@cluckgould2954]

Time and time again these lot get away with this continued corruption. How is it allowed to continue and no one is ever held to account? I'm utterly sick of this lot

[@johnbishop2342]

Usual Gove waffle waffle waffle. Just answer the damn question in a lot fewer words .

[@byrondaniel4410]

Love him laughing before answering questions smug little punk

[@nosferatu8293]

I'm reading Rory Stewart's book, Politics on the Edge, and Rory describes Michael Gove as a very intelligent and a great political player. I've always thought of him as a complete liar who can't be trusted and would sell his own mother!!!

[@traptor3426]

I wouldn't believe any conservative MP let alone a front bencher, I for one couldn't understand how they could sleep at night after treating the public with such disdain but having watched this Tory government for 14 years I've realised you would need morals to keep you awake at night and the government have none .

[@Papillion-Man]

So, how much did the taxpayer pay to the Thai banks per acre for that land? I very much doubt it will have been anywhere close to a £1 per acre😡

[@johndransfield1265]

Michael Gove needs to have a go in Graham Norton’s chair .

[@waltersaunders7699]

Why can't anyone buy/tender for a piece of land that sold for $1n per acre; there is not one scrap of land that sells for that anywhere in the world!

[@FnRenner]

When Gove was born, everyone in the room stopped and agreed that there never was a baby born who embodied the word "crony" more than little Mikey Gove

[@johnblackshaw7282]

This slimy character Gove will walk away from this meeting with a grin on his face.

[@dondoodat]

It turns out it was a typo. Tories promised to spend billions Revelling Up. Which is the one thing they've actually achieved.

[@johnbishop2342]

They are levelling up. They are making sure that their friends, colleagues, big businesses and influential people all get their “ fair” share of public money. Levelling up does not mean what the public assume that it means.

[@stephengraham1153]

And in the process riling up the population.

[@booboolovesubaru1422]

Let’s get ITV to produce a drama similar to the Post Office scandal . Wonder who will play the part of Gove.

[@lgparker4726]

How can they possibly sell one acre of land for a £1 when the going rate is between £12,000 and £25,000 per acre? Racketeering is what that is! Get the money one back,; don't let them get away with this kind of thievery!

[@ianhoward4246]

£1 an acre ....are they selling anymore, I think I could scrape up enough for a couple....call it Phase ME 😮😮😮

[@davidpeppert9168]

First rate public servant, Houchen couldn’t even organise an air show!😅