Scottish Conservative MP comes out for Gove

On Monday night, Michael Gove set tongues wagging in Westminster by joining forces with Ruth Davidson to launch new Conservative think tank Onward. With down-hearted Conservatives hoping the duo could form a future dream ticket in a Tory leadership election, the Defra Secretary dampened enthusiasm slightly by comparing himself and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives to Ike and Tina Turner –  a couple in which one side has been accused of violent spousal abuse.

Not that this has put everybody off. Last night Ross Thomson spoke at the Two Chairman as part of a Conservatives for Liberty event. Mr S’s mole at the event reports that the Scottish Conservative MP was asked who he would back if there was a leadership election. He in turn dutifully said there was ‘no vacancy’ before going onto to voice his own preferences should a vacancy happen arise. Thomson said that outside of government he’d look to the new generation but should MPs have to pick out of the current Cabinet, he would not back Sajid Javid or Philip Hammond – instead he’d back… Gove.