Michael Gove ‘knifed’ Justice Secretary over Worboys

Michael Gove has been accused of knifing Justice Secretary David Gauke by bouncing him into the bungled bid to keep evil John Worboys behind bars.

Senior Conservatives have blamed Environment Secretary Mr Gove for the furore over the U-turn on plans to hold a judicial review of the Parole Board decision to free black cab rapist Worboys.

The reversal has left Mr Gauke’s reputation in tatters just two weeks after he was promoted in the reshuffle. Allies say that contrary to ‘misleading’ press reports last weekend, he had not decided whether to challenge Worboys’ release, but was exposed when Mr Gove publicly urged him to ‘do the right thing’ and block the release – only for hapless Mr Gauke to be forced to rule it out.

Michael Gove, pictured with ally and Conservative MP Nick Boles, has been accused of knifing Justice Secretary David Gauke in the back 

Tory infighting intensified yesterday after Conservative MP Nick Boles, a close personal and political ally of Mr Gove, lambasted Theresa May for her ‘pathetic’ handling of the issue.

Some Tories pointed the finger of blame at Mr Gove for Mr Boles’s ‘spiteful’ outburst.

Both men deny any such motive, but the row has lifted the lid on an extraordinary Conservative power struggle triggered by the Worboys row.

One of the key figures in the political tussle is Carrie Symonds, Tory HQ director of communications.

She replaced Mrs May’s former co-chief of staff Fiona Hill, who quit after the botched General Election, as the party’s most powerful backroom female figure.

Last Sunday, Ms Symonds tweeted: ‘Hats off to David Gauke’, following the report saying the Justice Secretary was considering the review.

One of the key figures in the political tussle is Carrie Symonds, Tory HQ director of communications 

One of the key figures in the political tussle is Carrie Symonds, Tory HQ director of communications 

Later that day she shared online a series of articles about the scandal, on one occasion highlighting a section of a newspaper article that said: ‘Senior prison source: “Worboys still remains a danger to the public. David Gauke is rightly trying every avenue to try and stop Worboys’ release.” ’

On Monday, she retweeted a quote by Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, in which he claimed the decision to set the rapist free ‘looks more and more grotesque. Very hard to understand, and impossible to defend.’

Ms Symonds has joined the public campaign to keep Worboys behind bars, using Twitter to publicise the move to crowdfund a legal challenge and highlight widespread fury over the Parole Board decision.

On Wednesday she wrote online: ‘Tomorrow victims will be launching a crowdfund on CrowdJustice, to raise money for cost protection and legal fees so that justice can be done. The website will go live at 8am tomorrow. Please spread the word.’

Soon afterwards she added: ‘Due to overwhelming interest already, the crowdfunding page will be launched TODAY at 2pm.’ And she gave regular updates on the progress of the campaign, tweeting that it was ‘seriously incredible’ that £1,000 had been raised in less than an hour.

Ms Symonds encouraged people to ‘dig deep’ and added: ‘These girls will not be able to get justice without support.’

In addition to her role at Tory HQ, she also has close links with Mr Gove. Ms Symonds was part of his leadership campaign in 2016 – run by Mr Boles – in which Mr Gove notoriously torpedoed a rival bid by Brexit ally Boris Johnson.

The row over Mr Gove’s alleged role in Mr Gauke’s humiliation has revived suspicions about Mr Gove’s manoeuvrings and uncovered new Cabinet tensions over his links to Ms Symonds.

Rival Ministers said that in her Tory HQ role, Ms Symonds appears to spend a ‘disproportionate amount of time’ publicising Mr Gove’s campaigns on animal welfare and other issues. 

Black cab rapist John Worboys (pictured) is to be released from jail with the government deciding not to challenge the decision

Black cab rapist John Worboys (pictured) is to be released from jail with the government deciding not to challenge the decision

A senior source said: ‘Tory HQ looks like Gove’s personal fiefdom, with endless plugs for him. They are supposed to be promoting all Ministers, not just one.’

A senior Conservative said that he was ‘astonished’ by Mr Gove’s intervention in the Worboys case. ‘What on earth has Worboys got to do with the Environment Secretary?’ asked one indignant Tory MP.

‘If he had shut up, David’s credibility would not have been shot to pieces. He is just another victim of Michael Gove.’

Mr Boles said the Worboys U-turn highlighted ‘a timidity and lack of ambition among Mrs May’s Government which means it constantly disappoints’ and said it was ‘time to raise your game, Prime Minister’.

Her decision not to challenge the release of ‘vile Worboys’ was ‘the last straw’.

Mr Boles added: ‘I don’t care what the advice was about the chances of success of a judicial review, I want my Government to stand up for its conviction.’

He further fuelled speculation he was acting as an outrider for energetic Mr Gove by saying: ‘There are lots of Ministers who want to do bold and reforming things, and we need the Prime Minister to allow us to have the courage of our convictions.’

Asked to respond to Mr Boles’s attack on the Prime Minister, and why he intervened in the Worboys case, Mr Gove declined to comment.

Mr Gauke and Ms Symonds also declined to comment.



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