Michael Gove accused of staging Victoria Station incident

Gove was mobbed by protesters as he walked through the station moments after a sit-in protest for Palestine ended - an incident that left him "shaken".

Pro-Palestinian protesters chanted “shame on you” as the communities secretary, escorted by police officers, made his way through the concourse. 

Video footage posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, shows several protesters waving flags and surging towards Gove as Metropolitan police officers pushed them away and shouted at them to “get back”.

Michael Gove being mobbed by anti-vaxxers in 2021 as he walked back to his office after grabbing a coffee in Westminster-Michael Gove being mobbed after walking to Victoria Station yesterday-poor man he does seem to be rather unfortunate on these 'walks' pic.twitter.com/pFltHnQoUH

— Barbara (@BarbaraSutton15) November 12, 2023

His former colleague, Nadine Dorries, today questioned what his true motives were, even going as far as questioning "Was he drunk?"

Gove was reportedly on his way to get a train at the central London station on Saturday evening. Thousands of demonstrators marched in London on Armistice Day, calling for an Israel-Gaza ceasefire.

Organisers have said that the march could be one of the biggest in British history and claimed that 800,000 people attended.

A source close to the levelling-up secretary told the BBC he was returning from his constituency and had to be taken away in a police van.

Footage posted on social media shows him being physically ushered through the station by police officers.

And, another take.

The point is, he was playing to the gallery.
It was a stunt and those of us who have watched his unstable Machiavellian behaviour from the sidelines - his backstabbing’s, leaking and briefings, we can see right through him. There’s good reason why David… https://t.co/UaRVUujr1G

— Rt Hon Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) November 12, 2023

"What was he doing there?"

It is understood Gove was being driven back to London from his Surrey Heath constituency but was forced to get out and walk because the roads were blocked.

He was said to be “shaken” following the incident.

On BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, Dorries said: “What was Michael Gove doing in the middle of Victoria Station on a day when any other sentient politician did not want to make the police’s job any harder?

“Was he drunk? What was he doing there? What judgement made him walk through Victoria Station?”

"It’s not ‘bizarre’ for Michael Gove to use a major tube/train station"

Meanwhile, Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, condemned those who had targeted Gove.

Responding to a post on X which said it was “bizarre” for Gove to be walking in central London at that time, he said : “It’s not ‘bizarre’ for Michael Gove to use a major tube/train station. He should be able to travel in peace like everyone else.

“Those acting in this fashion damage their cause and, along with those displaying abhorrent anti-semitism amongst the rally today, must be condemned."