Life seems to move so speedily — and often happily so. Two seconds ago, Michael Gove was one of my favorite political writers. I read him from afar. I remember, in particular, a kind of credo he wrote. A political credo. It was eloquent, of course. But I also said, “Holy smokes: This speaks for me almost precisely.”
Then, all of a sudden, he was standing for Parliament. That was in 2005. He won. I interviewed him and wrote about him for National Review: here. I said,
Gove is one of Britain’s best political writers, and one of conservatism’s best writers, and he promises to be a strong politician. Is it too early to talk about him as prime minister, given that he’s 37 years old and was elected to Parliament about two seconds ago? Yes, but a little such talk has already dribbled out.
(Apparently I like the formulation “two seconds ago.”)
Then, in 2014, I went over to see him. This was when he was education minister — the British Bill Bennett (roughly speaking). When I got to Heathrow, the immigration guy asked what I was doing, natch. I said I was on assignment. Doing what? he asked. Interviewing a government minister, I said. Which one? he asked. Gove, I said.
He scratched his head. “You work for an American magazine, and you’re going to interview our education minister? My guess is, most Americans don’t know who our prime minister is.”
He let me in regardless.
I wrote up my interview for the mag, and expanded it into a four-part series on NRO: I, II, III, and IV.
Let me tell you one tiny thing, here on the Corner:
In 2011, he sent a King James Bible — a facsimile of the original — to every school in the land. It was the 400th anniversary of this book, and Gove did not let the moment pass. He described the King James Bible as “precious and unique,” and said, “I want all pupils, of all faiths and none, to have the opportunity to understand its place in our history, and its significant influence on our language and democracy.” The Bibles were paid for entirely by private donations.
That is so Gove. So very Gove. I said it was a “tiny” thing, but it’s big, and completely illustrative.
Well, as regular readers know, Michael Gove has been pretty much my favorite politician for more than ten years. (I should exclude personal friends.) There was one thing we Govers always lamented: He would not run for the party leadership. He always ruled it out. But now he has ruled it in. Which we (Govers) find gratifying almost beyond words.
I’m glad to have someone to root for in this political year!