Oxford has more to be ashamed of than Gove

Being the most prestigious university in the English-speaking world comes with its drawbacks. While the rolls of alumni are littered with famous names, not every Oxonian puts their formidable talents towards good. Even the most cursory glance will tell you that it’s not particularly surprising to learn that vice-chancellor Louise Richardson is ’embarrassed’ about the behaviour of one particular graduate. Aung San Suu Kyi has, after all, been explaining to The Hague that Myanmar has not been engaged in genocide, merely killing large numbers of an ethnic group that her government did not acknowledge exists.

Fortunately for Suu Kyi, she has escaped the ire of the university on this occasion. Instead, Oxford is ashamed to have educated Michael Gove, and not on the basis of his endearingly dad-ish dancing. The stated cause of the ire is his claim back in 2016 that the public was somewhat fed up with experts. A less acknowledged reason might be the suspicion that he wasn’t entirely wrong.