MICHAEL Gove was heckled at a speech in the German embassy after allegedly likening Brexit to the fall of the Berlin wall, according to a report from the event.
The Tory minister was giving the speech in London as part of German National Unity Day celebrations.
According to one of the attendees, Kings College London professor Peter R Neumann, Gove claimed that the UK’s decision to leave the EU is “on par with fall of Berlin Wall and East Germans' quest for freedom”.
The professor said the comments were met with cries of “nonsense” from the crowd.
So here's @michaelgove standing next to Luftwaffe band on Day of German Unity, telling German audience that decision to leave EU on par with fall of Berlin Wall and East Germans' quest for freedom. Shouts from audience: "Nonsense" pic.twitter.com/lFG9ZpdTkY
— Peter R. Neumann (@PeterRNeumann) October 3, 2019
Another attendee, LibDem peer Paul Strasburger, also said the Tory Brexiteer was “heckled by a large part of the audience”.
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Hitting back, Gove said Neumann may have “misheard”. He tweeted: “Dear Peter – I realise there were lots of people in the room so you may have misheard me – but in a speech which celebrated the example of modern Germany can you provide the precise quotes in context which justify this claim – or if not then perhaps clarify?”
Gove went on to say: “Please reflect the whole speech in context – I’d be in your debt to see an academic reflect the truth of an event rather than weaponise it for their own agenda.”
You did! Please reflect the whole speech in context - I’d be in your debt to see an academic reflect the truth of an event rather than weaponise it for their own agenda https://t.co/6FGnSTvh7f
— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) October 3, 2019
Responding to the initial complaint from Gove, Neumann maintained that Gove “said that the fall of the Berlin Wall signified East Germans' choice for freedom, and then continued ‘In our own democratic decision, we opted to leave the EU’.”
Asked to consider the whole speech in context, the professor made a thinly veiled dig at Gove’s infamous claim that “people in this country have had enough of experts”.
He added: “I summarised. My sincere apologies for any misunderstandings. I'm only an 'expert', after all.”
I summarised. My sincere apologies for any misunderstandings. I'm only an 'expert', after all. https://t.co/dw08sAMODK
— Peter R. Neumann (@PeterRNeumann) October 3, 2019
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But after the UK Government transcript of the speech was released, the professor hinted that a link had been made between German unification and Brexit.
Conceding that the link may have been made accidentally, Neumann tweeted: “The audience clearly felt that a comparison was made.”
The Government text of the speech can be read in full here.
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