MICHAEL Gove missed out on a meeting with Donald Trump as some Tory leadership rivals held one-to-ones with the US leader.
While Boris Johnson had a 20-minute telephone call with Trump, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt met with him and Home Secretary Sajid Javid had a “brush-by” at yesterday’s D-Day commemorations in Portsmouth, Gove told MPs he had been unable to secure a session with the Republican president.
Gove’s team had previously said they had been contacted by the White House with a view to arranging a meeting during the course of Trump’s stay in the UK.
But the Edinburgh-born MP told the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, he had only managed “a few words” with Trump on the night of the state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
Appearing to answer questions on agriculture, the UK Environment Secretary said: “I’m afraid I didn’t see him today.
“I saw him on Monday evening. I had an opportunity to say a few words to the president on Monday night.”
He added: “These occasions require people to wear evening dress.
“I had the opportunity to wear the kilt.
“It was very interesting that my wife was talking to the First Lady who was very taken with that.
“I think the president may well be placing an order for a dress Gordon tartan.
“That is another example of a successful trading relationship between the UK and America that we have brokered.”
Gove is amongst the 11 candidates still standing in the race to replace Theresa May. Junior ministers James Cleverly and Kit Malthouse have withdrawn their bids but time remains for other contenders to emerge before the June 10 deadline.
The winner should be announced in the middle of next month.
During a press conference with Theresa May on Tuesday, Trump said he knew both Johnson and Hunt and thought either man would do a good job as prime minister.
However, he said he did not know Gove – despite the fact the Environment Secretary interviewed him for The Times shortly before his inauguration as president in 2017.
Appearing before the Scottish Affairs Committee, Gove, who was raised in Aberdeen, insisted he and his officials are doing everything they can to ensure security for English farmers as Brexit approaches. However, he said Scottish ministers have failed to do the same, citing a lack of legislation on key issues.
Under questioning by committee chair Pete Wishart, Gove said the Scottish Government may be “waiting at the kirk when the boat is taking a voyage on the sea of opportunity”, adding: “There is no certainty on when the Scottish Government is going to take forward any agriculture bill
“We have a bill which has gone through committee. There is no bill and no whisper of a bill from the Scottish Government. It’s deeply worrying at this stage when so much has been done south of the Border.”
Gove continued: “The Scottish Government is not putting Scotland’s rural economy at the heart of its vision of the future in the way that it should.”
The Tory MP said sector-specific action should be taken over the proposed £30,000 income threshold for migrants which could drive overseas workers from Scotland.
This, he said, would benefit the fish processing, livestock and food sectors.
On relationships between Westminster and the devolved administrations, Gove said his department had been more successful in reaching agreements with leaders in Cardiff than Edinburgh.
On the reasons for this, he answered: “Let’s say no more than this – both Welsh and Scottish ministers are very good ministers, but obviously the Welsh administration is a Unionist administration, a Labour administration, and the Scottish Government... not so much.”
Expressing his “absolute respect” for “the strength of the devolved competence exercised by the Scottish Government”, he dismissed any suggestion of a power grab.
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