Londoner’s Diary
As the Secretary of State for Housing, Michael Gove has spent the past few years trying to solve our housing crisis. But now he has a minor one of his own. As of July 5, the morning after the election, the Tory politician might be homeless.
Gove has been living at One Carlton Gardens, a Government-owned mansion worth £25 million just down the road from Buckingham Palace. He has occupied the property, which is usually reserved for the Foreign Secretary, since November 2021, following his separation from his wife Sarah Vine. The decision to let him live there was partly motivated by security concerns.
Now Gove, who announced last month that he would be standing down at the election, will get the boot but hasn’t firmed up new arrangements. Gove has thoroughly enjoyed his stay, regularly hosting high-minded dinners there for the bright young things of journalism and academia. He has even been ticked off by the neighbours for taking guests onto the roof.
As one of our longest-serving Cabinet ministers (he has been at the top table for 13 of the last 14 years), he has many friends in high places and shouldn’t struggle to find a new place. What of his career plans? Well, Gove has been showing remarkable interest in the Times Radio battle bus, and says the relatively new station is now his “go to” listen. When he briefly left the Government in the Liz Truss period, he was reportedly lined up for a job at The Times, but it never materialised because Rishi Sunak asked him to come back to Cabinet. Now he is leaving for good, will we be hearing him on the wireless?
Election derails summer party season for politicos
Rishi Sunak’s surprise election dashed the summer plans of everyone in Westminster — including the opinion-shapers at The Spectator. The traditionally Tory-leaning magazine had July 3 marked down for its famous summer party, right, which is usually in the backyard of its Westminster HQ. But with polling day on July 4, they have put the brakes on. It’s one of many Westminster summer party postponements caused by the PM’s gamble.
During the election, politicians scatter across the country to campaign and half the press pack follow them, so the guest lists are suddenly slim. The pros in the Speccie’s events team have been rearranging it for the Tuesday after polling day. So instead of being sombre end-of- campaign drinks, the party will be the staging ground for the start of the Conservative party leadership contest (all caveats about the possibility of a shock Tory turnaround still standing).
Here come the waterworks!
History was made at the press night of Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder! at the Ambassadors Theatre. After a sprinkler malfunction during the interval, the play, left, was axed. “I’ve been going to the theatre three to four times a week for 30 years and never has a press night been cancelled,” said the Standard’s critic Nick Curtis. After 40 minutes of confusion, hacks were greeted by co-writer Jon Brittain. “If you happened to have brought hundreds of paper towels with you, come to the stage door,” he joked. The evening was not totally spoiled, though. The bar next door was stocked with Guinness, so with no reviews to file, the critics had a good old-fashioned knees-up instead.
Celebs unfazed by election
Kudos to Sky, which threw its summer party as planned last night despite the left, right and centre postponements caused by the election. At a glitzy reception in the Nomad hotel, Covent Garden, the corporation’s execs and presenters (Kay Burley, Beth Rigby, Sam Coates) welcomed politicians (Michael Gove, John Nicholson), TV celebs (Katherine Ryan, David Baddiel, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty) and a footballer (Jamie Redknapp). Some famous faces were unfazed by the election that has been swallowing everyone else’s attention. Jim Moir (stage name Vic Reeves) told us: “I couldn’t give a f*** about the election. I just wanna focus on painting.” Daytime TV darling Alison Hammond, meanwhile, maintained her impartiality. “I’m undecided, I suppose I’m a floating voter,” she said, reminding us that she will be voting up in her beloved Birmingham where she still lives.
