The independent student newspaper of the University of Glasgow
Michael Gove and Humza Yousaf to speak at UofG
The ex-UK Cabinet Secretary and First Minister will both discuss life after politics in an event at the University later this month.
The former First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf MSP, and former UK Cabinet Secretary, Michael Gove, will both attend a public event at the University of Glasgow on Tuesday 28 January. The free event is organised by the University’s John Smith Centre.
Entitled ‘Surviving Politics’, the talk is billed as a discussion on “Brexit, independence, UK-Scottish relations, Covid” where “two leading political figures reveal what it was like to be in the room.”
Humza Yousaf MSP, a graduate of the University of Glasgow, stood down as First Minister of Scotland in May of last year, following the breakdown of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish National Party and Scottish Greens. His 13 months in office was seen by many as an attempt to continue the legacy of his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, who was embroiled in a party finances scandal and ongoing police investigation after leaving office in March of 2023.
Following his departure as First Minister, Humza Yousaf has continued to represent the constituency of Glasgow Pollok in the Scottish Parliament, and has been politically outspoken online, particularly on issues surrounding Gaza and the conflict in the Middle East.
Humza Yousaf setting out his vision for Scotland in a speech given to the press at the University in January 2024.
In 2023, Humza Yousaf pulled out of a public event with the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association after it emerged that students were planning to protest his speech in support of striking college lecturers in Glasgow.
Michael Gove is a former MP for Surrey Heath, and has held a number of key cabinet positions during the 14 years of Conservative Government between 2010 and 2024. He is best known for his tenure as Secretary of State for Education which saw a number of significant reforms in the school system in England, including the introduction of free schools and the roll-out of academies.
Michael Gove also played a key role in the Vote Leave campaign alongside Boris Johnson during the Brexit campaign. He launched two separate bids for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2016 and 2019, both of which were unsuccessful. He later played a role in the downfall of Boris Johnson after withdrawing support for him in the summer of 2022.
The event will be held in the Sir Charles Wilson Building on Kelvin Way and hosted by Vice Principal of the University, Professor Sara Carter OBE.
Free tickets can be booked here.
Published 10 January 2025