66. Michael Gove on being fired by Boris, battling with The Blob and the day he almost quit politics.

06/02/23 • 80 min

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Our guest for this episode of Crisis What Crisis? is one of Britain’s best-known politicians, Michael Gove. A man who has held numerous jobs in Cabinet, working under four Prime Ministers – he is of course now the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
For well over a decade, Michael has been at the heart of a series of political crises, including the forming of the Coalition in May 2010 (when we worked together), Brexit, the pandemic, and more recently the aftermath of the Liz Truss experiment.
In the moments of relative calm, including four years as the Education Secretary, Michael has built a reputation as a politician who gets things done. A fierce intellect coupled with a brilliant sense of humour makes him one of politics’ most engaging and effective operators.
Adopted as a baby, Michael grew up in Aberdeen. Like so many other politicians, including Boris Johnson, he found professional success first as a journalist at the BBC and the Times before deciding that reporting on Westminster was not enough for him.
Michael has a reputation as one of politics’ most courteous individuals, but at times, often at times of crisis, he has also shown himself to put it (as he would, politely) as someone capable of ruthless decision-making.
Full episode transcript available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/michael-gove-on-being-fired-by-boris-battling-with-the-blob-and-the-day-he-almost-quit-politics/
Michael’s Crisis Comforts:
1. Scotland. I do feel calmer when I get back home. It’s not just seeing my mum, wherever you grew up frames you. So Aberdeen – whether it’s in a nightclub, a pub or walking on the beach.
2. Exercise. I do like dancing but I also like running – I’m not very fast, I’m not very good, I’m not an athlete, but any sort of exertion that takes you out of yourself... going for a run even if it’s just half an hour, just helps to clear your head.
3. A glass of red wine. It has to be after six o’clock in the evening, normally it’s much later. And there’s a particular type of Bordeaux wine – Saint-Julien.
Links:
Michael’s website: https://www.michaelgove.com/
Michael’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgove?s=20
Michael’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gove2019/
Host – Andy Coulson
CWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane Sankey
With special thanks to Global

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Host – Andy Coulson
CWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane Sankey With special thanks to Global

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67. Aasmah Mir on racism, merciless bullying and family trauma

My guest for this episode is the multi-award-winning broadcaster, journalist and writer Aasmah Mir. Starting her career on Scottish TV, Aasmah has worked on our screens and radios for more than 25years including as co-presenter of Radio 4’s Saturday Live, Radio 5’s Drive show and now as the co-presenter of Times Radio’s Breakfast show.
But beneath Aasmah’s trailblazing success lies a story of resilience and triumph over adversity. As the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Aasmah faced the turbulent challenges of racism, identity crises, and the painful experience of seeing her beloved, severely autistic brother being sectioned. In her teenage years, and facing the trauma of severe bullying, Aasmah almost lost the very voice that would later resonate with millions.
In her moving memoir A Pebble In The Throat, Aasmah unflinchingly details her personal odyssey, interwoven with her mother Almas' experiences. This joint memoir chronicles a saga spanning five decades and two continents, as Aasmah's remarkable storytelling captures the essence of resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of family. Astonishingly, she embarked on her book while navigating the challenges of being a single parent following the sudden collapse of her marriage.
My thanks to Aasmah for sharing her astonishing story.
Aasmah's Crisis Comforts:

1. Fizzy cola bottles. I’m not the sugar fiend that I used to be, but there’s something very comforting about fizzy cola bottle sweets. I always have some of them on hand.
2. Tea. Not just drinking tea, but the act of making tea. So, the little infuser, tea leaves, the best ones from Fortnum and Mason, and I just go through the whole thing – it has always calmed me down.
3. My bed. I just love being in my bed. I love pulling up the covers, it reminds me of being a teenager actually, I used to take comfort then as well. I just feel like I’m on a little island floating away from all my trouble.

Links:
Aasmah’s book – A Pebble In The Throat - https://amzn.to/463Q2Eb
Aasmah’s Twitter -https://twitter.com/AasmahMir?s=20
Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm
Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk
Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682
Host – Andy Coulson
CWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane Sankey
With special thanks to Global