the campaign trail. and coming up before eight — we look ahead to chasing the cheese in gloucestershire. hello i'm nicky schiller. we wa nt we want to start with some breaking news, this coming from laura canonsburg, bbc sunday producer, michael gove it will not stand as an mp at the next election. mr gove was elected in 2005 and of course entered david cameron's cabinet in 2010. he's been the mp for surrey heath since 2005. it was understood, laura understands that he made the

decision in the last couple of days. mr grove has been a close ally of course of the prime minister rishi sunak and he served under a number of prime ministers, theresa mae and borisjohnson, alongside mrjohnson boris johnson, alongside mrjohnson he borisjohnson, alongside mrjohnson he was one of the leaders of the campaign to leave the eu. his decision of course comes as more than 70 conservative mps have announced that they are leaving rather than fight the election in july. now, this is our understanding, laura ginsberg's understanding, laura ginsberg's understanding that michael gove will not stand as an mp. laura goons... this newsjust breaking come not stand as an mp. laura goons... this news just breaking come of that michael gove the long serving can cabinet minister is not going to stand as an mp at the upcoming general election injuly. he was

elected in 2005 and of course well known as a minister for a number of different things. he's the levelling up different things. he's the levelling up secretary, he has also been chancellor of the duchy of lancaster, minister in the cabinet office. he was also secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs. state for environment, food and ruralaffairs. so state for environment, food and rural affairs. so holding some of the top positions in government, a very well—known face. if you watch the sunday morning political programmes that laura does, often it is michael gove that is talking on behalf of the government. let's go straight to our correspondent hannah miller. this news breaking in the last couple of minutes, but we understand that michael gove is not going to stand. understand that michael gove is not going to stand-— going to stand. michael gove, has throughout _ going to stand. michael gove, has throughout his _ going to stand. michael gove, has throughout his time _ going to stand. michael gove, has throughout his time as _ going to stand. michael gove, has throughout his time as cabinet - throughout his time as cabinet minister has it been a hugely controversial figure. minister has it been a hugely controversialfigure. he's done many things, he is widely regarded as being quite effective in many of the

roles he's taken, but by being effective driven through some policies that some people absolutely love and others, frankly, don't like at all. when you think back to his time as education secretary, he was introducing academies which are now kind of widespread across england in terms of the way that children are educated, that'sjust terms of the way that children are educated, that's just one example. he's also done a lot of things in relation to environmental targets for the farming industry. so someone who has been seen to have quite a role in quite a number of different departments and also who has been quite influential in terms of the fortunes of conservative party leaders. he had a close relationship with borisjohnson during the days of vote leave and the brexit campaign, but then ran against him for the leadership of the conservative party and he was critical of liz truss before she

resigned as prime minister. so someone who has been really at the forefront of politics in the uk for really quite some time, while he hasn't quite ever been having the quite job of hasn't quite ever been having the quitejob of —— topjob of prime minister, he has been in the ear of many prime ministers and held quite a number of influential roles. 0ne a number of influential roles. one of many mps now standing down, i think we would have to double check the exact total, but i think this brings us to 120 mps now who are not standing for late reelection. not quite as high as in 2010 but quite higher than 1997. among them there are some other significant names — teresa mae made her last speech in the house of commons this afternoon, also matt hancock, the former health secretary. ben wallace, the former defence secretary, he spoke this afternoon urging mps to continue to invest in defence spending and

security of the country and also to add to the people who are leaving parliament this time, the longest—serving female mp, harriet harman, she spoke in the chamber today for the last time and she is said to have spoken almost 10,000 times during her years in parliament. michael gove, the latest figure to announce that he's not standing in a really significant one in terms of the conservative party and the way that the country has been governed and policies that have been governed and policies that have been enacted in recent years, but far from the only one to be standing down at the selection.— down at the selection. yeah, and hannah, michael— down at the selection. yeah, and hannah, michael gove _ down at the selection. yeah, and hannah, michael gove has- down at the selection. yeah, and hannah, michael gove hasjust . down at the selection. yeah, and - hannah, michael gove hasjust posted on social media so i'm going to read what he has said. he said," after nearly 20 years of serving the people in surrey heath and over a decade in cabinet across five government departments, i have today taken the decision to step down as a member of parliament." and he has

written a long letter that he has posted to the chairman of his local conservatives. it says, stuart black, the chairman of the surrey heath conservatives. he says," i have decided not to represent surrey heath at the next general election. this has come 20 years after it was first adopted by this fantastic association as your candidate. together we have contested and won five general elections, you and the association have been there for me and my family through good times and bad. i am so gratefulfor your friendship and support, thank you. having the chance to serve as a member of parliament and minister has been a profound privilege. as a child in aberdeen i could never have imagined i would have the opportunity to sit in the commons, let alone around the cabinet table. my let alone around the cabinet table. my parents, who adopted me when i wasjust four months my parents, who adopted me when i was just four months old, brought me “p was just four months old, brought me up to believe the chance to help others is the greatest gift you can

be given. for prime ministers asked me to serve with them and their governments has been the owner of my life. i am grateful to the mall. david cameron who gave me the chance to pursue education reforms in which i passionately believe. teresa mae asked me to support her in challenging times. borisjohnson delivered breakfasts and brought out the levelling up. asked me to return to government when i believed my ministerial career had ended, enabling me to deepen and intensify the levelling out programme. his support has ensured we can deliver projects that are benefiting all parts of the country. having seen up close to the demands of the role, i know we owe them all so much. i also know we owe them all so much. i also know the toil office can take as to those closest to me. no—one in politics is a conscript. we are volunteers who willingly choose our fate, and the chance to serve is wonderful. but there comes a moment when you know that it is time to

leave. that a new generation should lead. the next conservative mp for surrey heath will inherit the best constituency in the country. 0ver constituency in the country. over the past 90 years and working with our brilliant counsellors we have saved local a&e services and protected our green spaces. he goes on to list a number of other things he's done in surrey heath. "reflecting on my terms and government, i have watched the apartment of education bear fruit, when i became education secretary then the second part of the letter scores were ranked 27, 29 for reading and 16... environment food and ruralaffairs, he reading and 16... environment food and rural affairs, he talks about his time in the cabinet, he's going through as hannah mentioned, the different roles that he is taken and the levelling out department. he said he was also pleased to introduce the most wide—ranging of

reforms to the leasehold, social housing and supportive housing in a generation. he taught also talked about measures he included al—islah and give tenants every were a stronger voice, and give tenants every were a strongervoice, in and give tenants every were a stronger voice, in this role i have also been moved by the testimony of the bereaved revit relatives and survivors of the grenville tragedy. i'm glad we have been able to legislate an act to make buildings safer to learn from the tragedy and funding for a permanent memorial for those we have lost. he also says he was privileged to help introduce the homes for ukraine's game and the british public 150,000 have found refuge. he also talks about being proud to have led that vote, leave campaign alongside gordonjohnson —— borisjohnson. "even though i've made mistakes, i have always been a voice for those under looked and

undervalued. my education reforms were designed to build a country where everyone, no matter their background can become the authors of their own life stories. for me, that is what being in parliament and being in government is all about." he ends, "i've been privileged to work with many brilliant colleagues, i am grateful to them as i am too many superb officials and advisers that supported me and my fantastic surrey heath team. i shared with you a few weeks ago a home article of why we have our record in government we can be truly proud. we have a prime minister that i know it exemplifies the patriotism, hard work and sense of selfless service and clarity of purpose which are the very best britches of a party. rishi sunak has a plan for a country of midst growing challenge. he also has policies that will guarantee a more prosperous future. he added here, i

will do everything i can to support him in every conservative candidate in the selection. with every good wish, michael gove. so that's the letter, a long letter, that michael gove has posted on social media. hannah, itake gove has posted on social media. hannah, i take from that, a very personal in a lot of areas in that but also admitting that he had made mistakes as well.— mistakes as well. yeah, and i think, he listed out — mistakes as well. yeah, and i think, he listed out the _ mistakes as well. yeah, and i think, he listed out the number _ mistakes as well. yeah, and i think, he listed out the number of - he listed out the number of departments that he served in and i think many people, even some on the labour benches who have shadowed him, were yet to see any kind of reaction to this and of course we are in a general election campaign so things will become highly convoluted over time. we've certainly heard labour people as well saying that they although they don't agree with what michael gove has done there is a general respect for him for his work ethic and the general work he has done in the different departments and the way that he has worked and he has managed to drive through policies.

what he doesn't mention in that speech, one thing that he perhaps would be slightly disappointed with is that today we've lent that his renters reform bill will not be, become law this parliament. that's not made it through in what's known as the washup. but the idea that people should not be able to be evicted from rented flats without, when it wasn't their fault or kind of changes to strengthen the rights of changes to strengthen the rights of renters. and those won't necessarily be happening. this might be a manifesto pledge for the conservatives and something that michael gove had been working on and was known to be trying to push through. but as you say, i think this is quite a personal letter, one that reflects the number of different departments that he has worked in and he is clearly kind of trying to remain, loyal they are to the conservative party, trying to speak about the conservative party's

future endings as well, and the idea that there is a younger generation to take over now but i think people will look at this and say it's yet another conservative mp choosing to go right before a general election evenif go right before a general election even if the decision has been made in the last few days as laura suggested. it does add to a picture thatis suggested. it does add to a picture that is growing of the growing number of conservative mps choosing to leave rather than fight the election. ., to leave rather than fight the election. . ., ., ., , , election. yeah, hannah, absolutely. laura now saying — election. yeah, hannah, absolutely. laura now saying that _ election. yeah, hannah, absolutely. laura now saying that she _ laura now saying that she understands that mr gove only made the decision in the last 36 hours. he's defending a majority, that seat would have been 18,000 so quite a healthy majority and that surrey seat. at healthy ma'ority and that surrey seat. �* ., , healthy ma'ority and that surrey seat. �* . , ., ., , ~' seat. a healthy ma'ority, i think the lib dem _ seat. a healthy ma'ority, i think the lib dems were_ seat. a healthy majority, i think the lib dems were second - seat. a healthy majority, i think the lib dems were second in . seat. a healthy majority, i think. the lib dems were second in that seat, 18,000 as you say, would be described as healthy in any normal general election. we've had by elections recently were greater majorities than that have been

overturned. i haven't had a chance to look at what swing would be needed on those kind of technicalities that we get into, but the pure numbers of 18,000, you know, who knows? it is possible. but it would be, it would certainly have been seen as a kind of safe conservative seat so we'll have to see, as i say, the lib dems in the second whether they are campaigning there. ., ., ~ ., ~ second whether they are campaigning there. . . ~ ., ~ , there. hannah miller, thank you very much for the — there. hannah miller, thank you very much for the latest _ there. hannah miller, thank you very much for the latest there _ there. hannah miller, thank you very much for the latest there for - much for the latest there for westminster, the breaking news in the last quarter hour or so, is that michael gove is not going to stand at the general election after being an mp for almost 20 years. you'll get more on that on the bbc news website and app on our special election live page, that is up and running. we will take a look now at some of the other news now. it's been a fight that's lasted a quarter of a century — and today hundreds of subpostmasters who've struggled for years to clear their names after being prosecuted for fraud

will have their convictions quashed by parliament. it comes on the day when the former post office boss paula vennells admitted to the public inquiry that she was very aware that she had let the subpostmasters down — although she insisted she did not deal in deception. but she was accused by lawyers for some of those affected of living in "la—la land" and being in a cloud of denial about her role. emma simpson reports from the inquiry. celebrations three years ago as the first wrongful convictions are overturned in court. now, hundreds more former sub—postmasters are having their names cleared. lee williamson on the right was given a suspended sentence for fraud in 2014 which is now being quashed. there's always been delay or frustration to delay the process. so to hear it is relief. maybe other emotions will come to light when it settles in.