Michael Gove humiliated former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron in the Commons this afternoon during a housing debate.
Mr Farron recently went to war with his party’s members at their Bournemouth conference, trying to prevent the Lib Dems from adopting high housing targets as policy.
The Lake District MP was booed by members after describing a pro-housing policy as “pure Thatcherism”.
The party ended up backing a target of 380,000 new homes per year.
In Parliament this afternoon, Mr Gove tore into Mr Farron, commiserating him for the conference defeat.
He said: “Can I also commiserate with him, because at the recent Lib Dem conference, I’m afraid he was defeated and his party adopted a housing policy that he described as ‘Thatcherite’.
“It’s a source of sadness to me to be outflanked on the right by the Liberal Democrats!
“But can I welcome more defections to the Thatcherite cause from those who once embraced [Liz Truss] as one of their own!”
His gags were greeted with laughter from assembled MPs.
Mr Farron claimed housing targets are “vague and vacuous” adding “they are not radical, they are not liberal, they are not new, they are not effective”.
Lib Dem London Mayoral candidate Rob Black slammed the former Lib Dem leader, saying directly “that speech was below you. Tim, you are better than that”.
The target motion was especially pushed by young LibDem members, who like many young people are struggling to get on the housing ladder.
The youth wing thanked the Lib Dem conference for passing the motion and said: “There is nothing more liberal than ensuring everyone has the right to a home.”
Pro-housing Tory MP Sir Simon Clarke congratulated the party’s youth wing, saying: “On a cross-party basis, this is the right thing to have done.
“Unbelievable to see MPs like Tim Farron denouncing building homes.”
