Andrea Leadsom sees green over Gove

Whether it’s authentic or not, the Conservative party is going green. Following Michael Gove’s reinvention as resident eco-warrior, the party has been pushing green policies – from extending plastic bag charges to saving trees in Sheffield – in a bid to prove they care. Today Gove’s Cabinet colleagues were brought into the fold – each being gifted a re-usable coffee cup this morning at Cabinet.

However, could it be another Cabinet member who is really behind the green revolution? Step forward Andrea Leadsom. It’s been remarked to Mr S that Gove’s predecessor in Defra ‘never misses the chance’ to mention that many of good news green initiatives coming from that department were started when she was Defra Secretary. ‘You could say she’s gone green in more ways than one,’ whispers a Cabinet colleague.

With May’s former communications director Katie Perrior claiming in the Times last week that when Leadsom was environment minister she was told to make the 25-year environment plan’as boring as possible’, Mr S suspects that Gove’s role is more significant than some would have you believe…