Michael Gove: Separate Rooms

This story appears in The Independent, and refers to Ms Vine's Daily Mail column today.

Fagburn has no comment to make on this, which is an entirely private matter.

London: Possible New Night Mayor Threat

Evening Standard - exclusive!

Just when you think we've seen the last of this Tory goon, like T2 he appears.

Does anyone remember Ivan's appearance on Question Time?

He came across as even thicker than Adam Rickitt.

Update: During a Gaydio radio interview he goes on a bananas rant about all those disgusting gays and their drugs and their unsafe sex and those 'slamming' parties he read about somewhere.

Only Mayor Massow can save London from this tidal wave of gay filth!!!

PS Mail columnist Susan Vine attacks anti-poverty campaigner and food writer, Jack Monroe, for being a lesbian mum; 'No one forced her to have a child. Indeed, if she was in anyway uncertain of her sexual orientation, arguably she should have taken greater precautions...'

Sarah Vine is the wife of Michael Gove - Gove used to share a bachelor pad with Massow.

Can dots be drawn here?

Update: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Politics: That Cabinet Reshuffle Not In Full

Greg Barker OUT: Leaves his position as Minister for Lightbulbs and will be leaving parliament at the next election, but please don't read anything into that. May be spending time with his ex-wife who he left cause he's a big gayer.

Nick Boles IN: Dashing and openly gay - and a former flatmate of Michael Gove - today he was suddenly given the in-no-way made-up brief of 'overseeing equal marriage implementation'. As the Equalities Minister is opposed to equal marriage. Oops.

Ken Clarke OUT: It's goodbye to the fun-loving Minister for Jazz, who had to go so he can't resign over Europe later. 'Pub?' he said on leaving Downing Street.

Stephen Crabb IN: Minister for Wales? Minister for Woof more like! Who cares if this hot bearded bear believes in anti-gay conversion therapy?

Alan Duncan OUT: The Tories' first out gay MP. The lovable diddyman leaves his position as Minister of State for International Development to go and make some more millions from dodgy oil deals during the current tumult in the Middle East.

Liam Fox OUT: Declined an offer to return as Defence Secretary as Mr Cameron said he couldn't keep going on trips with his BFF and former flatmate, Adam Werritty.

Michael Gove OUT: Adored by teachers throughout Albion, Mr Gove has left the Ministry for Education. Number 10 insists he has not been demoted, and said making tea for cabinet meetings was jolly important.

William Hague OUT: In one of today's biggest shocks, the Minister for War Crimes Foreign Secretary quit so he could spend more time with his family and young friend, Chris Myers.

Lord Haw-Haw OUT: The 112 year-old far right Minister for Anglo-German Friendship gets the boot - a sure sign Mr Cameron wants to modernise his party's image.

Nicky Morgan IN: An obvious choice for Minister for Women and Equalities due to her valiant opposition to equal marriage. And as she was privately educated, she was a shoo-in for Education Minister.

Sir Cyril Smith IN: Nick Clegg lobbied hard for the return to frontline politics of the king-sized Liberal legend. Smith will be Under Secretary for Pederasty and Death Threats.

Jennifer Token-Nice-Young-Lady IN: Position yet to be confirmed.

Steve Bell in Wednesday's Guardian.

Dedication Of The Day: Michael Gove

“On behalf of teachers I'd like to dedicate this award to Michael Gove and I mean dedicate in the Anglo Saxon sense which means insert roughly into the anus of.”

Michael Steer, a maths teacher featured in Channel 4's Education Yorkshire, collecting the Royal Television Society Award for best documentary series.

Stephen Fry won best presenter for Out There.

Bless.

Will Young: Manners Maketh Man

Chart star Will Young has said more should be done to clamp down on homophobic language and the use of the word “gay” as an insult in schools.The Leave Right Now singer said he had even taken up the issue with Education Secretary Michael Gove who he said had been “encouraging”.
Young draws attention to his concerns writing in the Independent On Sunday this weekend, as the paper publishes its annual Pink List of powerful gay and lesbian figures.
The Pop Idol winner, who came out shortly after winning the show and has gone on to have an enduring music career, said the issue had to be addressed.
He writes: “A few months ago I attended a teachers/education conference at the Barbican organised by Stonewall.
“Through the various seminars I attended I picked up one recurring theme, teachers and heads of schools were more than often not backed up by local authorities when it came to homophobic language.
“Michael Gove attended the conference and I put it to him that this use of the word gay as a derogatory form of description HAD to be addressed.
"His reaction, I was pleased to say, was attentive and encouraging. Let’s see words turn into actions Michael."

The Daily Mirror, like several other papers, pick up on Will Young's article for the St Cake's school magazine yesterday.

This is not the first time Will 'Nice-But-Dim' Young has spoken out about the sorry state of Britain's (state) schools.

He told The Independent in 2009...

Will Young, outside St Cake's, circa 1994.

"It was taught in independent schools that you are privileged, but this was also tinged with a hint of snobbery. I remember writing a letter at prep school that read: “I must pass common entrance to take me to public school, otherwise I’ll be going to state school and everyone will be very disappointed.” State school wasn’t an option. It would have been devastating for me. There was a fear of state schools that came perhaps from a sense of feeling better than others. What was instilled in you was the sense that people were more unruly in state schools and not as lucky as we were."

But his time at Wellington College had a profound effect on young master Young II.

"What was great about private school for me is that we were taught the importance of manners, and that is something that has never left me (hopefully). I am not implying that state schools don’t teach manners but traditional values and basic decency were definitely promoted – and that has been invaluable to me as an adult."

Though according to Dominic Cummings, Michael Gove's special advisor on education, where you go to school may be irrelevant - what really counts is good breeding.

No-one can deny chart star Well Hung has that.

But at least public schools keep you away from all those uncouth oiks and their filthy language. 

Michael Gove: Word!

The Education Secretary Michael Gove, has spoken at a conference on equality in education, to condemn the use of the word “Gove” as derogatory, saying it is “outrageous and medieval”.
"It’s just utterly outrageous and medieval to think that to use the word 'Gove' as an insult is somehow acceptable," he said.
The former flatmate of Ivan Massow and Nicolas Boles continued; “If you’re growing up wrestling with gladiators in your dreams, the last thing you need to feel at school is any sense that the difficulties with which you’re wrestling or the path on which you wish to embark are in any way a legitimate subject for humour, ostracising or prejudice.”
When he stopped using wrestling as a perhaps telling metaphor, Gove suggested closing down all state schools and letting them be run by McDonalds, and making pupils sit stupid exams every day so they learn nothing apart from how to conform to orders.
A school pupil commented; "That is totes gove, innit!"

• Noam Chomsky answers questions from middle school students. Beyond great.

Freedom To Marry: A Question Of Leadership

Marriage should available to all [sic]

We recognise that civil partnerships were an important step forward in giving legal recognition to same sex couples. But civil partnerships are not marriages, which express a particular and universally understood commitment. We feel strongly that religious freedom must be protected. This means that religious groups should be allowed to conduct same sex marriages if they choose, but equally none should be compelled to do so. The strongest legal safeguards must be put in place to guarantee this freedom.

We appreciate that some people oppose equal marriage, including many who are not homophobic but have a profound religious conviction about the nature of marriage. We believe that this debate should be conducted in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding.
Nevertheless, a substantial majority of the public, including people of faith, support equal marriage. Other countries, including Spain and Canada, have already taken this step. The Government is right to press ahead with this reform, and we urge MPs and Peers to support it.

Gavin Barwell MP
Lord Black of Brentwood
Alistair Burt MP
Ruth Davidson MSP
Jane Ellison MP
The Rt Hon The Lord Fowler PC
The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
The Rt Hon Nick Herbert MP
Kris Hopkins MP
Margot James MP
Bernard Jenkin MP
Boris Johnson
The Rt Hon Patrick McLouglin MP
Tim Montgomerie
The Baroness Noakes
Matthew Parris
The Rt Hon Nicholas Soames MP
Paul Swaddle
The Rt Hon Desmond Swayne TD MP
Freedom to Marry
London SE1

The Sunday Telegraph. 

This is bigged up with a news story; 'Boris Johnson and Michael Gove join new Tory campaign group to push for same-sex marriage - Senior Conservatives today launch a new group which will campaign strongly for same-sex couples to be allowed to get married in church - in defiance of their party’s traditionalists.'

Note the biggest name here is one Boris Johnson.
Is it overly cynical to wonder if - like his recent call for a referendum on EU membership - this has more to do with BoJo's leadership ambitions, here by trying to outpace David Cameron by seizing the socially liberal high ground?
And was Friday's "leak" of how Cameron supports an opt-in on religious gay weddings an attempt to pre-empt the above letter?
[Note nether Dave nor Maria Miller are signatories, despite having come out in favour of its main proposal... on friday].
Do you really think Gove and Johnson (a very recent convert to marriage equality*) recently had some Damascene conversion on how unjust it was that The Gays wouldn't be able to get married in church, and felt they must speak out and start a group?
All this is pure speculation on Fagburn's part, of course, but I think that Cameron and Johnson are at war, and we are mere pawns in their game.

PS The above cartoon indicates where the Telegraph stands on all this. I wrote yesterday that it seemed odd the Tories are flexing their pro-gay-marriage credentials in the pages of the anti-gay-marriage Telegraph. I guess it makes sense for that very reason...

* Johnson said on BBC Radio 4 yesterday, that his comparison of gay marriage to letting "three men and a dog" marry was "a Socratic question"!

Gay Marriage: William Hague Comes Out

Daily Telegraph.

How very interesting.
Probably best if I keep schtum on this one.
But good to see William Hague, Liam Fox, Michael Gove and George Osborne all coming out.
For gay marriage, I mean.
Though if Tory cabinet ministers could actually say they were gay that might signal a real "generational change".

PS Actually I'm not sure if Liam Fox has come out - for gay marriage. Shall we ask Adam?

Heterosexual Of The Month: Michael Gove

This is the first part of what Fagburn hopes will be a long-running series.
Some others may involve Princess Michael striking similarly rugged and manly poses. 
More here on why I hate him, gay or nay - the right-wing cunt. 

David Laws: On Returning

The Sunday Telegraph runs a thinly disguised love letter to "homosexual" David Laws, masquerading as an interview.
Apparently, Mr Laws is "widely tipped to return to front-bench politics in the Cabinet reshuffle expected in the autumn," replacing Vince Cable as business secretary, they're hoping.
His big idea? Slash taxes and public spending.
Which is a bit rich coming from a multi-millionaire who fiddled his parliamentary expenses, I'm sure you'll agree.
He describes inadvertently outing himself through that expenses scandal - he didn't declare that the man he'd claimed and paid £40,000 to in rent was his boyfriend - as "a very difficult thing.”
“Quite often politicians have single car crashes which are quite painful, but this was a multiple car crash – affecting many different parts of my life at once. It took a long time to recover from that."
He adds; “Michael Gove was very supportive – I am a big fan of his."
Who knew!
Oh, and he supports gay marriage - and arguably becomes the first person to put the case for marriage equality in the pages of the Telegraph unchallenged. 
The Telegraph lauds Laws as "one of a species now almost extinct – a Liberal Democrat popular with Tories"
Can it be long til David Laws does the decent thing and comes out as a Conservative?

Leveson Inquiry: Call Me Daddy!

The text messages between Jeremy Hunt and Murdoch’s lobbyist [Fred Michel] are just plain embarrassing.

FM: great announcement today. Well done

JH: Merci papa [...]

FM: Full of energy and purpose on Andrew Marr! Liked your answer on Rupert and the BBC! Have a great visit to India. Fred

JH: Merci mon ami

In what is perhaps a reference to mutual fatherhood of new babies — their children were born in the same hospital on the same day — the pair resorted to calling each other “daddy”. At times this drifts off into what could be kindly be referred to as flirting.

FM: You were great on the BBC this week-end!

JH: U too daddy [...]

FM: Great speech. Watched it with cycling team. And I can’t believe you managed to do Newsnight as well! You have stamina daddy!

JH: We all find it somewhere!

Via Political Scrapbook.  
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
We've also recently learnt that Michael Gove uses a private/secret email account under the name "Mrs Blurt".
Not sure anything should be read into this idiosyncrasy of Ivan Massow's former flatmate.
They're a funny bunch these Tories and no mistake.

Michael Gove: Pure Manhood

"The world tells people who have same-sex attractions that they have two options: either hide in the closet in fear or come out, embrace your identity, and sleep with whoever you want. Acknowledging your attractions but living a pure life isn't even proposed as a realistic choice, because the world assumes that sex equals love, and no one should have to live without love.
"A guy who has these attractions may not want them, or even know where they're coming from. Perhaps they stem from an unhealthy relationship with his father, an inability to relate to other guys, or even sexual abuse. Whatever the case may be, purity will help him understand the origin of his feelings.
"Every guy needs male approval as part of becoming a man. But in this need for masculine love, some guys may question their identity and try to find it in sex. But that will not satisfy their calling to make a total gift of themselves. The homosexual act is disordered, much like contraceptive sex between heterosexuals. Both acts are directed against God's natural purpose for sex -- babies and bonding.
"Even if a person does not believe in God, he cannot argue with nature. For example, the life expectancy of homosexual men is half that of heterosexual men. Furthermore, imagine what would happen if all people with same-sex attractions were placed in their own country. It would be empty in a century, because bodies of the same gender are not made to receive each other. Even if a man has same-sex attractions, his body is heterosexual. He was designed to give life..."

Pure Manhood: How To Become The Man God Wants You To Be by Jason Evert.
A booklet given out in some faith schools - which Michael Gove is fine and dandy with.

"The education provisions of the Equality Act 2010 which prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their protected characteristics (including their sexual orientation) do not extend to the content of the curriculum. Any materials used in sex and relationship education lessons, therefore, will not be subject to the discrimination provisions of the act."

So now you know.

Education: Section 28 2.0

Free Schools and Academies Must Promote Marriage

The importance of marriage is to be taught to every pupil at the Government's flagship free schools and academies.
The schools will be made to sign up to strict new rules introduced by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, setting out what pupils must learn about sex and relationships.
Headteachers will be told that children must be "protected from inappropriate teaching materials and learn the nature of marriage and its importance for family life and for bringing up children".
But the decision to spell out an explicit endorsement of marriage in the curriculum for tens of thousands of children is highly politically significant, and likely to be welcomed by Conservative traditionalists who have been concerned at a perceived failure by David Cameron's Government to deliver on pledges to support married life.
Mr Gove has introduced the "model funding agreement" as a template for how every new free school and academy is run. Ministers want a dramatic increase in the numbers of both types of schools.
The new rules on marriage are set out in clause 28 of the funding agreement – an echo of the controversy under Margaret Thatcher's government when Clause 28 of the 1988 Local Government Bill banned schools from promoting homosexuality..."

From The Sunday Telegraph - I think this is their exclusive.
So all that stuff David Cameron told Conservative conference about supporting gay marriage was bullshit.
Someone quick write the book Michael Gove Lived With Ivan and Nicholas!
Will try and find the text of the funding agreement tomorrow to check it
but this sounds dreadful...

Update: These two quotes have since been aded to the end of the article;

Sex and Relationship Education Guidance, July 2000

Pupils should be taught about the nature and importance of marriage for family life and bringing up children. But the Government recognises that there are strong and mutually supportive relationships outside marriage. Therefore pupils should learn the significance of marriage and stable relationships as key building blocks of community and society. Care needs to be taken to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances.

Free School Model Funding Agreement and Academy Model Funding Agreement, July 2011

"The Academy Trust shall have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State on sex and relationship education to ensure that children at the academy are protected from inappropriate teaching materials and they learn the nature of marriage and its importance for family life and for bringing up children."

Can you spot the difference?

You can read the funding agreement here - many thanks to everyone who forwarded this.

Ivan Massow: Joan As Police Woman

'Crushed by a court case, his business in tatters, the gay finance entrepreneur fled to Barcelona and fell into alcoholism. His unlikely saviour? Joan Collins'

The Guardian.
Don't know about you, but I stopped reading right there.
Shocking The Guardian gives this stupid Tory such an easy ride.
Apparently he's got some new business venture, and is going on The Secret Millionaire.
Yes, things are looking up, up, up for Michael Gove's ex-flatmate!

Michael Gove: I Blame The Parents

"Herro, I am the Secretary of State for Education"

Adoption: A Sad Day For Bigotry

'Christian Beliefs DO Lose Out To Gay Rights: Judges' ruling against devout foster couple'
"A Christian couple facing a foster parenting ban because of their views on homosexuality were told by a court yesterday that gay rights ‘should take precedence’ over their religious beliefs."

Eunice Johns commented; "This is a sad day for Christianity. The judges have suggested that our views might harm children. We do not believe that this is so. We are prepared to love and accept any child.
"All we were not willing to do was to tell a small child that the practice of homosexuality was a good thing."

This is from the Daily Mail, of course - a dream story for them, of course.
Fagburn applauds Derby Council and the High Court for acting to prevent child abuse.
For more on The Daily Mail's creepy obsession with adoption, see; Michael Gove: I'll scrap 'harmful' restrictions on adoption process that gave me a second chance'
Und! One of Fagburn's all-time favourite pieces; 'Slurred By The Adoption Nazis: Critics of gay parenting are branded 'retarded homophobes''

Update: This has set Telegraph readers off on their letters' page on Wednesday. The Telegraph also has a sympatico interview with these two nutters - while an editorial compares the High Court ruling to the Spanish Inquisition. FFS!

Michael Gove: Friend As Foe

The Observer profiles education secretary, Michael Gove today.
Of course what profiler could resist mentioning that Gove once shacked up with two notorious homosexuals?
"He attacked homophobia long before that became mainstream Tory thinking and flat-shared for a while with [Nicholas] Boles, whom Gove met while playing a priest in a film directed by a mutual friend, an early glimpse of the unexpected cultural hinterland he still cultivates, and the financier Ivan Massow, both openly gay."
And yes, Mr Gove has been very good on the gay stuff - here is an item on Gay Pride and gay rights for Newsnight back in 1993, back when we were still battling Section 28 and an unequal age of consent - policies his party doggedly adhered to.
Here he rails against homophobia in The Times in 2003.
I could have chosen many other examples.
And, since you're wondering, although Michael Gove is not the world's most masculine man, I get the feeling he's not gay (and he is married) and would have come out if he was.
This week Michael Gove's government released a white paper, The Importance Of Teaching.
It has been criticised as "a hotch potch" combining plans to create an elite of independent schools with populist nonsense like bringing in soldiers to teach.
But it did stress the importance of tackling anti-gay bullying.
Michael Gove said;
"Homophobic bullying is on the rise in our schools, and homophobic terms are increasingly used towards gay students and straight students in a way that seeks to undermine the tolerance that we have built up over the past 15 years. We therefore need to work with organisations such as Stonewall and the Anti-Bullying Alliance, and to shine the light on schools such as St George’s Church of England school, which has done a fantastic job in tackling homophobic bullying. This requires work not only by school leaders but by political leaders and all of society to tackle a growing prejudice that is scarring our tolerant society.”
This is a new paradox for progressives; that someone like Mr Gove can be so supportive of lesbians and gay men, and yet otherwise be such a right-wing shitbag.
Truly, we live in strange and mysterious times.

BBC Online Archive: The Gay Rights Collection

The BBC Archive online has just added 'The Gay Rights Collection: The campaign for sexual equality'.
"In this collection, we chart the story so far for gay and lesbian equality in the UK. Many of the programmes reflect the language common at the time when they were first broadcast and illustrate the changing attitudes towards homosexuality in the last 50 years."
There are initially 30 radio and television broadcasts available including:
A 1957 press conference with John Wolfenden.
'Male Homosexual' - a 1965 radio programme containing interviews with gay men.
'Man Alive' - the two part BBC TV documentary on lesbians and gay men from 1967.
'Inside Story: Coming Out' - preparing for London Gay Pride in 1979.
'Open To Question' - on Justin Fashanu's coming out in 1992 as the first out professional footballer.
A report on Gay Pride from 1993 by Michael Gove - yes, the Michael Gove who's now the Conservative Education Minister!
'Breakfast With Frost' - Ian McKellen talks about the effects of Section 28 in 1994.
And a BBC TV News report on the first civil partnership in 2005.
Enjoy!