Michael Gove danced with Rachel Johnson to Blurred Lines at glitzy bash while son, 11, was left alone in hotel for six HOURS
He reportedly failed to answer calls from a concerned night porter who found the 11-year-old wandering the corridors
MICHAEL Gove left his 11-year-old son alone at a B&B while he danced with Boris Johnson's sister at a glitzy celeb bash.
The ex-Cabinet minister partied the night away with wife Sarah Vine while their youngster looked after the dogs at a £250-a-night guesthouse.
Gove, whose Tory leadership bid flopped after he stabbed Brexit ally Boris in the back, busted some moves to Robin Thicke's saucy hit Blurred Lines at the Sunday Times Cheltenham Literary Festival.
The Goves finally returned to the hotel at 1.30am the following morning – six hours after leaving, and four hours later than they'd allegedly promised.
Yesterday, Boris's sister Rachel Johnson said: "The only reason they left their son is because he was babysitting their two dogs. I think it’s absolutely fine.
"He (Gove) was on the dancefloor so I decided to ask the DJ to put on Blurred Lines which of course got the whole place up.
"So there were some blurred lines when it comes to the Johnson/Gove rapprochement there."
A source told the Sunday Mirror that the couple failed to answer calls from a concerned night porter who found the 11-year-old wandering the corridors of the B&B.
But the NSPCC said parents are entitled to make their own decision on when a child is old enough to be left alone.
A spokesman said: "It can be a difficult decision to decide when children are old enough to be left alone and there are a whole host of things to think about.
"Parents need to consider whether a child would know what to do if something went wrong, and talk to their child and see if they are comfortable and confident about being left by themselves."
The charity advises that children under 12 are not left at home alone for a long period of time because they are "rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency" and that children under the age of 16 are not left alone overnight.
According to the law, there is no specific age when parents can leave a child on their own, but it is an offence if it places them at risk.
They can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised “in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health”.
Later that day comedian Dom Joly tweeted: "Amazing party at @131TheProm celebrating end of Chelt Lit Fest- only slightly ruined by the sight of the loathsome Michael Gove dancing..."
A spokesman for the family said: "Michael and Sarah's son is a mature and confident secondary school pupil. He preferred to watch TV rather than go out to dinner.
"He was perfectly fine and staff at the 13-room hotel were happy to supervise.
"The hotel where Michael, Sarah and their son were staying would know how to get in touch with them if anything distressing had occurred."
Former education secretary and chief whip Gove, 48, had kept a low profile since his failed leadership bid before stepping out earlier this month to attend the festival.
The news comes as Gove appears to be attempting a political comeback.
The former Education Secretary, Justice Minister, Lord Chancellor and Chief Whip has just won a seat on Westminster’s new Brexit Committee and is being tipped for a return to the front benches as a future member of Theresa May’s Government.
Gove's Daily Mail writer wife Sarah Vine has spoken in the past about leaving children on their own.
A source close to the couple said they didn’t understand what the fuss was about and felt their son had been perfectly safe.
In 2012, former PM David Cameron mistakenly left his daughter Nancy, then aged eight, in a pub by herself when he drove off without her.
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