MICHAEL Gove gave an awkward response when asked what Nicola Sturgeon’s “biggest achievement” was during her time as Scotland’s First Minister.
The Levelling Up Secretary appeared on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg where he was quizzed on a range of topics from the cost of living crisis to anti-social behaviour.
The host then asked the Cabinet minister what he thought Sturgeon’s “biggest achievement is” to which he replied: “Umm” followed by silence for around five seconds.
He then added: “I don’t want to say anything bad or, what’s the word, negative about Nicola Sturgeon because I think that she is a dedicated public servant and she’s devoted her life to public service and as First Minister of Scotland I worked with her during the pandemic.
“I know that she was committed to coming to the right conclusions in the interests of the people of Scotland.
“I fundamentally disagree with her on many things but I wish her well.”
#bbclaurak - What do you think Nicola Sturgeon's biggest achievement is? Michael Gove - Um... Um.... I wish her well. #Ridge pic.twitter.com/VRvhUTJhny
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) March 26, 2023
The new leader of the SNP will be announced tomorrow with either Humza Yousaf, Ash Regan or Kate Forbes set to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.
Elsewhere on Kuenssberg’s show, Gove was asked about Boris Johnson, who faced the Privileges Committee earlier this week over accusations he misled Parliament.
“I think all of us will at some point have told a white lie or an untruth”, Gove said.
He added: “What was Boris’s argument. He was working incredibly hard in order to try to do the right thing.
“He believed that saying thank you to people who were leaving in the cramped and confined circumstances of 10 Downing Street was part of that job.
“Did he attend those events in a spirit of self-indulgence? No. He did so in order to show his gratitude to those who were working with him.”
