Hapless Tory Minister Michael Gove missed a Monday morning news interview after being stuck in a BBC lift.
The Scots Cabinet Minister, famous for displaying his disco dancing skills in an Aberdeen night club, was trapped for more than half an hour in the BBC building in central London.
Nick Robinson, Radio 4’s Today programme presenter, stifled his own laughter as he told listeners: “Mr Gove is stuck in the Broadcasting House lift. I wish I could say this is a joke, it is not a joke and it is not very funny for Mr Gove and the security man, who have been stuck there for some time.”
Robinson said Gove had been “keeping cheerful” although there were no reports about the condition of the security man trapped in the lift with him.
Gove was eventually freed from the lift although he did offer to conduct the interview by phone while between floors.
Appearing on the Today programme later than planned, the Levelling Up Secretary said he had been “successfully levelled up”,
Gove added: “These sorts of things happen, and if you and I together have given ammunition for Armando Iannucci or for the next episode of W1A, then fine.”
Told by Nick Robinson that the hashtag #FreeMichaelGove had been started on Twitter, the Cabinet minister said he suspected there are “rather more people” who feel he should be “incarcerated for longer”.
The Communities Secretary was touring studios to explain his plan to tackle the cladding scandal when the mishap occurred.
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