Michael Gove

Michael Gove is a politician, journalist and author. He has been the Conservative MP for Surrey Heath since 2005 and is currently Shadow Minister for Children, Schools and Families.

Born in 1967, he read English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and is married to Sarah Vine, a Leader Writer at The Times.

Michael joined The Times in 1996 as a Leader Writer and has been Comment Editor, News Editor, Saturday Editor and Assistant Editor.

He has also written for the Times Literary Supplement and the Spectator as well as authoring a sympathetic biography of Michael Portillo MP. A critical study of the Northern Ireland Peace Process, The Price of Peace, won the Charles Douglas-Home Prize.

At The Times, Michael worked closely with Frances Lawrence, widow of the murdered headmaster Philip Lawrence, to fight street crime and its causes. Frances' campaign succeeded in establishing an award scheme for good citizenship among the young and influencing legislation to ban combat knives.

He was Chairman of the Policy Exchange from 2002-2005, where he helped set up and run the centre-right think tank responsible for innovative policies on policing, housing, local government, school choice and fighting terror.

Previously, Michael worked for the BBC's Today programme, On The Record and Scottish Television. He has also appeared regularly on radio and television, as a panellist on Radio Four's The Moral Maze and a guest on Channel Four News, Any Questions and Question Time.