Michael Gove forced to apologise to Theresa May after feud over Islamic extremism schools row

The battle between two of David Cameron's most senior cabinet ministers over "Trojan horse" extremism in schools came to a bitter climax last night as Theresa May's closest aide resigned and Michael Gove was ordered to apologise to the Prime Minister....

The Education Secretary was forced to admit that it was wrong to brief The Times against the Home Secretary and her intelligence chief, Charles Farr. Downing Street said Mr Gove had written letters of apology to Mr Cameron and Mr Farr "in acknowledgement of his role" in claiming that the Home Office had failed to "drain the swamp" of Islamic extremism. Fiona Cunningham, the Home Secretary's special adviser and trusted aide, who is in a relationship with Mr Farr, resigned over her "improper release" of a retaliatory letter from Mrs May that criticised Mr Gove over extremism...


Earlier yesterday, Mr Gove told reporters he would not resign over the row. Mr Cameron was known to be furious that the row between the two ministers was being fought in public and had overshadowed the Queen's Speech. After the report in The Times emerged last Tuesday evening, based on comments Mr Gove had made to the newspaper, Ms Cunningham released a letter from Mrs May in which she questioned whether Mr Gove's department was warned about the allegations in 2010, asking: "If so, why did nobody act?" In a bid to quell the row, Mrs May and Mr Gove issued a joint statement of unity on Wednesday, but it was not enough. No 10 refused to say whether Mrs May had authorised Ms Cunningham to release the letter or whether her aide was freelancing. However, a source suggested that it was the latter because it was the adviser who had resigned...


Outside the conference chamber, he ignored further questions. He was shielded by aides who swiftly ushered him into a waiting car, claiming that he would not speak ahead of the Ofsted report and had "a busy schedule". Labour's education spokesman, Tristram Hunt, launched a blistering attack on Mr Gove's handling of the affair, claiming that the Education Secretary had failed to act on warnings of Islamist extremists targeting Birmingham schools. Mr Hunt said: "When ministers try to cover their backs, when they brief against each other and use intemperate language and unleash special advisers against each other, they know they have been caught out."

(More at link):


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trojan-horse-row-michael-gove-ordered-to-apologise-to-cameron-for-times-briefing-9507170.html



Personally, I think Gove and May deserve each other; though I thing Gove may be even more pig-headed and stupid.