Michael Gove’s “only mistress was politics”, his estranged wife has said, as she addressed speculation about why their marriage ended.
Sarah Vine set out why the couple had agreed to separate after they announced last July that they were in the process of finalising their divorce.
Ms Vine, a prominent journalist, said: “The mistress wins in the end. It’s all about making sure she is happy. In my case, despite all the rumours, his only mistress was politics. That’s what he is in love with. He is genuinely in love with politics.”
Friends of the couple, who had been married for almost 20 years, have previously insisted that nobody else was involved in the split.
The news of their separation came soon after it was revealed that Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, was having an affair with Gina Coladangelo, his aide.
Brexit caused a strain on couple’s marriage
Mr Gove and Ms Vine have been married since October 2001, having first met two years earlier.
His separation from his wife later appeared inevitable after she failed to testify to the strength of their partnership when writing about Mr Hancock.
In an article for The Mail on Sunday, she said Mr Hancock’s “behaviour may be shocking, but given the context it is entirely predictable”.
In an interview with Tatler magazine, Ms Vine also spoke of the difficulties of being married to a politician. During their marriage, Mr Gove ran to be leader of the Conservative Party on two occasions.
“My ulterior motive throughout my entire life was to stop my husband being Prime Minister because I can’t think of anything worse,” she said.
Alluding to the impact of Brexit on her marriage, she said that her “whole life fell away”.
She said: “I didn’t speak to many close friends. And that was another huge strain on the marriage. Marriage can take strain, but it cannot take that much.”
Asked if she felt sorry for Carrie Johnson, the Prime Minister’s wife, Ms Vine said: “I do, because no matter what she does she’ll be criticised. Oh yes, she knows what she’s doing, she’s got an agenda. She’s very much of that generation.”
