Michael Gove turns book reviewer for the Times

Former justice secretary Michael Gove is set to return to the Times newspaper as a book reviewer and columnist.

The newspaper revealed the news in a short piece in its morning print edition today (5th September).

The Times literary editor Robbie Millen told The Bookseller that Gove would be reviewing books once or twice a month "across the board", including history, biography, fiction and non-fiction, or "whatever takes his fancy", with publishers best to reach him through Millen.

The Conservative MP worked for the Times between 1996 and 2005. Although he was elected as the MP for Surrey Heath in 2005, he continued to write columns for the newspaper until 2010 when he was appointed education secretary under then prime minister David Cameron.

Gove was sacked as justice secretary in July this year as Theresa May took office as prime minster and reshuffled her cabinet. His subsequent departure from front bench politics followed his failed bid to be leader of the Conservative Party after campaigning for the UK to leave the European Union earlier in summer.