He is the adopted son of an Aberdeen fish merchant who forged his journalistic career at the Press and Journal – and now he could be on the verge of taking the keys to Downing Street.
Michael Gove is a leading contender to succeed David Cameron as Prime Minister after his Machiavellian manoeuvring left Boris Johnson out of the contest on Thursday.
Mr Gove was born in Edinburgh and, at four months old, was adopted by a working-class, Labour-supporting family in the Granite City.
His father, Ernest, ran a fish processing business; and his mother, Christine, was a laboratory assistant at Aberdeen University before working at the Aberdeen School for the Deaf.
During the EU referendum, Mr Gove claimed that Brussels’ fisheries policies had “destroyed” his father’s business.
In Aberdeen, he was educated at Sunnybank Primary, and subsequently attended the independent Robert Gordon’s College, to which he won a scholarship.
In October 2012, while education secretary, Mr Gove wrote a letter of apology to his former French teacher for misbehaving in class.
From 1985 to 1988, he studied English at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford, where he served as President of the Oxford Union.
After graduating, Mr Gove become a trainee reporter at the P&J, taking part in the strike at Aberdeen Journals in 1989.
Former P&J photographer Kate Sutherland declared she had “fond memories” of Mr Gove, but added that power seemed to have transformed his once mild-mannered persona.
She said: “I thought him tremendous fun – he had a very dry sense of humour and it was always a good laugh when he was around.
“I was really shocked at all the manoeuvring with him and Boris. When I knew him, I remember him being a nice guy, but I am not sure he is anymore.
“None of us are surprised at where he’s got to. During the strike, he used to speak at meetings with his background at the Oxford debating society. We all thought he’d be going far.”
Lindsay Macdonald, assistant chief sub-editor at the P&J, was part of a works quiz team with Mr Gove who were victorious on Grampian TVs Top Club Quiz.
He said: “He was a very amiable guy. He was self-confident, but not arrogant with it.
“He wasn’t the brightest on the quiz team anyway.”
But if a week is a long time in politics, how long is 27 years?
