Aberdeen-born cabinet minister Michael Gove has announced his divorce from newspaper columnist Sarah Vine.
Mr Gove, who attended Robert Gordon’s College as a schoolboy, serves in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, as well as Minister for the Cabinet Office.
They had been married since 2001 and their announcement follows a column written earlier this week by Ms Vine by the Daily Mail, in which she talked about the difficulties of being a politician’s wife in the wake of the Matt Hancock scandal.
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“Amicable”
The pair said the split was amicable and they “would remain good friends” and moved quickly to point out there was no third-party involved.
A spokesman for the couple told the PA news agency: “Michael and Sarah have agreed to separate and they are in the process of finalising their divorce.
“They will continue to support their two children and they remain close friends.
“The family politely ask for privacy at this time and will not be providing any further comment.”
“Westminster changes a person”
Ms Vine wrote about how Westminster “changes a person”, referencing the split between Mr Hancock and his wife Martha following his affair with aide Gina Coladangelo, along with ex-chancellor George Osbourne’s marriage break-up.
She wrote: “These women are still more or less the same person they were when they got married. But their politician men are not.
“Climbing that far up Westminster’s greasy pole changes a person. And when someone changes, they require something new from a partner.
“Namely, someone who is as much a courtesan as a companion, one who understands their brilliance and, crucially, is personally invested in it.
“The problem with the wife who has known you since way before you were king of the world is that she sees through your facade.”
The couple have said they will not be commenting further at this time.