High street blues as Michael Gove meets voters
For a man intended to be the unofficial 'minister for TV', Michael Gove has been conspicuous by his near absence from the airwaves.
But the former education secretary, now Conservative chief whip, insists he has 'done his bit' in the Tories' fight to win the election.
He was intended to be the public face of the Conservative campaign and he certainly was that while out and about in Rugeley, part of the battleground Cannock Chase constituency.
Finally, after weeks and weeks of organised meet and greets, and endless tours of factories and businesses, a front bench politician was spotted out meeting real voters in the street.
The party high command, both Labour and Conservative, seem reluctant to go anywhere near them for fear of being taken to task over their policies. Michael Gove, however, was out in the high street, handing out flyers to passers by and shaking hands.
After a quick stop at Rose's Cafe in Albion Street, where he met with Cannock Chase candidate Amanda Milling, he was off down the high street handing out flyers.
He told the Express & Star he has been busy on the campaign trail and refuted the suggestion he was keeping a low profile.
"Just this morning I have been on BBC radio, Sky News, Sky News Radio and BBC TV," he said. "I then had interviews with Channel 4, ITN, the Telegraph, the Times and Buzzfeed. I offered to go on the Today programme but they said no because they were discussing the Scottish National Party.
"I am not sure they realised, so I pointed out to them, that I was born in Scotland."
Mr Gove was the latest in a flurry of big-name Tories to visit the Cannock Chase constituency, won by the Tories from Labour with the biggest swing in the country in 2010. It is a 'must win' for the Conservatives and Labour if either is to have any chance of forming a majority government.
He was keen to shake hands with everyone who walked by, and even popped in to Costa Coffee to talk to people enjoying a break from shopping.
At times the campaign has felt like it has been stage-managed, with politicians unwilling to meet ordinary people. But a cheerful Mr Gove denied that had been the case.
"I don't think the election has been like that, absolutely not," he said.
"I know that William Hague was here knocking doors in Cannock and Jeremy Hunt (the health secretary) was here at the weekend.
"Everyone we have sent here has had access and time to talk with regular voters."
