Michael Gove comes to Ilkeston: “There is more a chance of me running down Ilkeston High Street dressed as a mole than there is of me defecting to UKIP”

While waving a toy mole, Conservative Chief Whip Michael Gove has said that ‘there is more a chance of me running down Ilkeston High Street dressed as a mole than there is of me defecting to UKIP’.

On a visit to the Advertiser offices in Ilkeston this afternoon (Friday November 7), Mr Gove confirmed that he would not be defecting to UKIP and said that he was not concerned about the increasing popularity of the party.

He said: “I want to make sure that people recognise the nature of the next election as a straightforward choice - there are two choices: Miliband and Labour or Cameron and the Conservatives.”

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The former Secretary of State for Education said that he was unconcerned by the increase in votes for UKIP at recent by-elections and the election of former Tory MP Douglas Carswell in Clacton to become the first UKIP candidate in the House of Commons.

Mr Gove said: “Of course there are people who will have voted for UKIP and other parties because they have policies that are dear to their hearts.

“Other parties have said ‘if you vote for us there will never be any pain ever again’ but people know that’s not realistic.

“But we’ve listened to the Conservative people who have voted for other parties and that’s why you will have seen on the economy, on housing and on taxation, we are making sure people’s lives are made easier.”

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Mr Gove was visiting several seats in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to talk to MPs and candidates and offer his support in their campaigning work.

Today he was visiting Maggie Throup who is the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Erewash in the next general election, and discussing the main concerns for local residents.