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Sympathy in short supply as Michael Gove gets stuck in airport chaos for 30 hours

Published 08:34 16 Aug 2022 BST

Updated 08:35 16 Aug 2022 BST

Charlie Herbert
Sympathy in short supply as Michael Gove gets stuck in airport chaos for 30 hours

Homenews

The prominent Brexiteer's flight was delayed by over a day

Michael Gove found himself stuck in airport chaos as he returned from holiday at the weekend. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up was trying to make his way from Athens to Gatwick, but found himself in the travel chaos that so many Brits have experienced this summer. Twitter user and Labour activist Candida Jones shared a picture of Gove in the queue at Athens airport, revealing that the EasyJet flight he was on had been delayed by “almost 30 hours.” She said this was because of “a lack of staff due to the pandemic compounded, in the case of the UK, by Brexit.” https://twitter.com/candidaj/status/1558850242002489347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1558850242002489347%7Ctwgr%5Eba5c9c35b158d6ae3d10942f0a1294c795f60d69%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thelondoneconomic.com%2Fpolitics%2Fgove-stuck-in-30-hour-delay-caused-by-brexit-related-travel-chaos-332243%2F Candida also confronted the former education secretary over what opportunities Brexit had provided to her daughter. When someone asked Candida what the Secretary of State for Levelling Up had to say to justify leaving the EU, she replied: “He thanked me for the opportunity of hearing that my daughter’s opportunities have been diminished by Brexit.” https://twitter.com/candidaj/status/1558867591606812672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1558867591606812672%7Ctwgr%5Eba5c9c35b158d6ae3d10942f0a1294c795f60d69%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thelondoneconomic.com%2Fpolitics%2Fgove-stuck-in-30-hour-delay-caused-by-brexit-related-travel-chaos-332243%2F She told the Mirror that when she confronted him about Brexit he said: "I’m on my holiday and this is not the appropriate place for this conversation." She replied: "Yes, and I’m on my holiday and I’ve spent 30 hours trying to get home!” Unsurprisingly, many enjoyed the schadenfreude of someone who campaigned so passionately for Brexit finally reaping what he sowed. One person tweeted that it would be the perfect tonic if "anyone needs cheering up," whilst someone else described the story as "delicious." https://twitter.com/KatyJayne101/status/1559214145349853184 https://twitter.com/archer_rs/status/1559178102487613440 Several wondered whether it was in fact the first "Brexit benefit." https://twitter.com/CraigRussell80/status/1559428990233886720 https://twitter.com/BrianHTweed/status/1559289498042867716 Gove was one of the most prominent Brexiteers in government during the 2016 referendum, and was a co-convenor of the Vote Leave campaign.
British holidaymakers have experienced a summer of chaos and delays at airports both in the UK and abroad.
This is as travel companies and airports struggle with a return to pre-pandemic levels whilst also experiencing staff shortages due to Covid. But in the UK these problems have been exacerbated, with Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary saying that Brexit has been a significant factor in the travel chaos.
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