MICHAEL Gove has returned to frontline politics after new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed him as Secretary of State for Levelling Up.
Gove formally backed Sunak for PM on Monday morning, calling on the rest of the party to unite behind him.
During the short tenure of Liz Truss, Gove was a vocal critic of her mini-Budget.
Gove previously held the same cabinet position in Boris Johnson’s government before being sacked after he called on Johnson to resign in the wake of the Partygate scandal.
READ MORE: Alister Jack stays as Scotland Secretary as Sunak snubs backer Andrew Bowie
He replaces Simon Clarke, who has not been offered a senior cabinet position by Rishi Sunak.
Due to his long political tenure he is considered by many Conservatives to be a 'fixer' of problem departments and has had stints as Chief Whip, Secretary of State for Education, Secretary of State for Justice, and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
However, his failed bid for the party leadership in 2016 - when he withdrew his support for Boris Johnson at the last minute and announced his own campaign - gained him a Machiavellian reputation.
However, in recent years he has also become known for his unusual persona outside of politics.
Last year he was filmed dancing in an Aberdeen nightclub alone and in August this year he was pictured partying in Ibiza in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis.
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