Michael Gove put on at least three bizarre impressions during a BBC interview, including Harry Enfield’s Scouser.
Impersonating the famous 90′s sketch featuring moustachioed, permed and shell-suited “Scousers”, the cabinet minister said: “Calm down!”
In the show, the actors would say “eh alright, alright, calm down, calm down” to stop their bickering coming to blows.
Gove made the unusual display when he was being quizzed on BBC Breakfast about whether there would be an emergency budget to ease the cost of living crisis.
Referring to the Treasury’s slap-down over speculation of an emergency budget, Gove told BBC Breakfast: “In fact, when the Treasury quite rightly say ‘calm down!’ then people, instead of recognising they’ve overinflated the story in the first place, then say ‘oh this is clearly a split’.”
The senior Conservative politician also appeared to attempt an American accent when he accused pundits of misinterpreting the prime minister’s words.
In an American accent he accused commentators of trying to turn Boris Johnson’s comments into: “A major, capital letters, big news story!”
He also grew particularly animated when tackling the topic, waving his head in another accent saying: “That doesn’t amount to an emergency budget!”
Social media users poked fun at the cabinet minister, including one who said: “Quite a strange interview by Michael Gove this morning. Saying something that his comedy Scouser ‘calm down’ wasn’t the worst bit.”
Another added: “Does anyone have a mechanical pencil or a pin handy, we need to reboot the Secretary of State for Levelling Up again.”
Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner seized the moment to rinse Gove, saying: “Is the cost of living crisis just a joke to them? This is not a serious government. We need an emergency budget right now.”
Labour MP Karl Turner added: “Embarrassing. There’s a cost of living crisis and a government minister is doing silly voices during an interview.”