Michael Gove has private talks with Lord Levy

Our first reaction to the above story in tomorrow's Times was to recoil.  Why on earth is Michael Gove talking to one of the most controversial figures from the Blair years?  Our second reaction was to appreciate that Lord Levy was a significant influence on the Academy Schools initiative - an initiative that the Conservatives are determined to extend.  He also remains a significant figure within Britain's Jewish and charitable communities.  We can't help but come back to our first reaction, however.  Is Lord Levy really a figure we should be associating ourselves with?

Comments

[Sammy Finn]

Will Jeremy Hunt be wooing Bernie Ecclestone next?

[Tom FD]

As long as David Cameron doesn't play tennis with him, permit him to lead the fundraising process, or get massages from Carole Caplin in his presence, it should be fine.

[David (One of many)]

I wouldn't trust the man with opening a door, but his support for academies is well-known. It rather suggests that's all this is about, considering it's Gove who is having the meeting.

[Tony Makara]

We've already seen Frank Field taking his personal grievances against Gordon Brown into the public domain. Perhaps Lord Levy is playing a similar game and undermining Brown by cosying up to senior Conservatives?

[Libertarian]

Lord Levy is a political leper. Michael Gove should have nothing to do with him. This is very poor judgement by Gove. I thought that he more sense and nous.

[Politico]

Why or why? - lets associate with the figure most know from the cash for honours mess - that will surely make the public think the tory party has changed.

Madness.

[Tom Hardman]

Why not? Surely the editors don't buy this ridiculous 'Cash for honours' nonsense?

[Atiq Malik]

We do not need any bad publicity this time.

[HF]

Bad move by Gove.

[Edward Huxley]

My opinion of the unctuous Levy is not fit to print. Who leaked these "secret" talks? Another example of Conservative Blue Labour

[Sam R]

Education, education, education!
First it was Willetts and his gratuitous attack on Grammar Schools. Now, a year on, Michael Gove.
Of course, we should be civil, even kind, to the whiz kids of NuLab, now that the whole façade is collapsing, but holding "secret" talks with Levy of all people! Next it will be Tony or Cherie asking to help.
I sincerely hope that Gove had reliable witnesses during those "secret talks". Don't want to read Levy's slant in Levy's next tome.
More of this and people will begin to feel sorry for Gordon.

[John W]

It amazes me the willingness to pass judgement and call into disrepute while knowing so few of the facts or even the truth of those apparently known. It is moronic back-seat driving like behaviour.

[Tory of 2008]

I agree with John W. Wait till you hear what Micheal has to say. surely to formulate any policy one needs to hear from all invoved in that area - professionals and theorists.
Stop condemning before you know!

[Mark Williams]

Whatever may have happened in the past, Levy is a leading figure in some charitable communities and has been instrumental in funding Academies, which are one of the few lasting achievements of this government. Gove is quite right to speak to Levy about his continuing involvement with Academies. I doubt that Levy would be interested to talk to the Conservatives about anything else.

[Old Hack]

Hey, we need all the help we can get to pay Steve Hilton's salary!

[Alan S]

John and Tory of 2008: We know enough already. Meeting Lord Levy was an error of judgment whatever the purpose of the meeting. The purpose of the meeting can be misrepresented as The Times may have done but it's simply stupid to be connected with such an individual.

[Andy]

John W @ June 02,2008 09:23. Quite right too.

[grumpy old man]

I wonder. Bearing in mind Nu Lab are almost as indebted as the Nation under their "governance", This wouldn't be a screen to discuss state funding for political parties? Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean they are not out to get me!

[John Ionides]

It seems eminently sensible of Gove to talk with Lord Levy - e.g. to put aside party politics in order to try to help fix the mess that is the current education system - and I find it hard to believe that the average man on the street would not applaud such a move.

[Ken Stevens]

Irrespective of the substance of the topic, it does not seem good PR to be associating with a name that perhaps symbolizes Blairism.

It tends to lend credence to the thought that none of the major parties is offering anything substantially different to the others, as opposed to simply offering rescue from the current disastrous personalities in government. That in itself is of course worthwhile but salvation alone is not a terribly enthusing concept.

[Man in a Shed]

Maybe Levy has a killer fact about Brown's knowledge of certain fund raising practices ?

[Jack Stone]

Michael Gove is a fool.I am all in favour of converting sinners but not people who seem to be unwilling to admit they are sinners!

[Sue Doughty]

Wouldn't touch him with a barge pole myself. But if interviewed on record with witnesses it could be useful. He will lie. You know he will lie, but understanding why he lies on each instance might be useful. If he says there is nothing in a box you know that box is not empty - you know what I mean?

[Simon Orr]

Lord Levy --> Charities/Fundraising --> Private Academy School System --> Michael Gove

Its not really difficult to see why they were meeting. If the 'voucher' system is to work then the government will have to get a significant number or charities and organisations on side.

[Vince]

Oh dear. This reminds me of the Greg Dyke saga. I had hoped we were over all that phase.

[Andrew Bradley]

Do people seriously think that Michael Gove would have met Lord Levy without the agreement of higher ups? - I think not.

From what I have read about Lord Levy, I actually quite like him. Anyone who criticises Gordon Brown publicly must have some good points. Also what is wrong is suggesting that he was hung out to dry by Tony Blair which he most likely was. Perhaps I am wrong in not being narrow minded, blinkered and bigoted.

[Tom FD]

Who leaked it? Surely not the Lord who seeks attention as if it were oxygen?

[James Lees]

Perhaps we could talk to Sir Ronnie Cohen about ways to tighten up tax anti avoidance measures?

[Linda Jack]

Sam R - re next it will be Tony. I would have thought that was a natural progression? After all it was he who turned the Labour Party into a second Tory party.

[Richard ROBINSON]

I have no knowledge of the accuracy of this report, but suspect that Michael thinks that the education of our children is too important to be prissy about who he talks to.

[F T P Topcliff]

Gove is a man of unimpeachable probity and judgement. It is the political pygmies who leap to condemn him on the basis on incomplete knoweldge who are the fools.

[Alexander King]

Come on, let's not get prissy about this. Lord Ashcroft is hardly the height of transparency, is he?

[Max]

It makes sense to talk.

I'm compiling a public list of Labour failures in government since 1997. Please drop by and let me know any I've missed out.

Max
http://theerrorlog.blogspot.com

[Bruce Shaxson]

If the Conservatives really feel the need to scrape the bottom of the barrel and talk with
Lord Levy, then all is lost.