Politics 21 June 2012updated 26 Sep 2015 6:32pm What else is to be #broughtbackbyGove? By Alex Hern [View the story “What else is #broughtbackbygove?” on Storify] What else is #broughtbackbygove? Storified by Alex Hern · Thu, Jun 21 2012 03:15:59 When Michael Gove announced that he was planning to scrap GCSEs, our own Helen Lewis wondered what else he was planning: BREAKING: Michael Gove to scrap internet, bring back fax machines.Helen Lewis Thus a hashtag was born: RT @ChrisKPHall: @helenlewis I’ve heard he’s scrapping Snickers to bring back Marathon < any more #broughtbackbygove suggestions?Helen Lewis And when Alastair Campbell joined in, (albeit with a misspelled tag) this thing went nuclear: Cliff Richard representing UK in Eurovision every year #boughtbackbygoveAlastair Campbell tolerance of phone-hacking of young murder victims #boughtbackbygoveAlastair Campbell Most highlighted the nostalgia that seems to be behind the move: A privatized healthcare system and O-Levels. Tories just need to bring back hanging now, and we’re in a 1950s utopia. #broughtbackbygoveJames Ball Gove to send all secondary schools an autographed Rubik’s Cube. #broughtbackbygoveNeil McOnie Betamax #broughtbackbyGove Shakey Michael Gove to scrap GCSE’s, and bring back O-Levels. Also considered: typewriters, National Service and Dave Lee Travis #broughtbackbygoveAdam Bunn #broughtbackbygove PE in your vest and pants.bendyleopard Gove to scrap “understanding the difficulties pupils’ have” and bring back “beating the shit out of them with a cane”. #broughtbackbygoveDickMandrake And a fair amount had very specific ideas of what nostalgia they wanted: Tom Baker in Dr Who #broughtbackbygoveCommuterist Gove to scrap Matt Smith and bring back Colin Baker. (Actually, come to think of it, that might not be so bad… :P ) #broughtbackbygoveDickMandrake Admittedly some don’t quite seem to understand the idea that nostalgia is yearning for the past: $38 Facebook shares #broughtbackbygoveCllr Marie Jenkins As ever, surrealism crept in pretty fast: Gove to scrap Gove and bring back Balls #broughtbackbygoveJonathan Haynes #broughtbackbygove my nan. As a zombie. A hungry zombie.David Stokes Some thought Gove wasn’t nostalgic, so much as simply regressive: Primary school subjects scrapped, replaced by vocational ‘chimney maintenance’ #broughtbackbygove@dbanksy Smallpox, open sewers, enclosure of common land. #broughtbackbygove #thosewerethedaysmarian cleary Feudalism #BroughtbackbyGovemrianthomas Slavery #BroughtbackbyGove #workfareLee Myers #broughtbackbygove phlogistonFlorence Miller Rickets #broughtbackbygoveMartin McGrath I’m not sure whether this one counts as nostalgia or not, but a lot of people thought of it: Gove writes to Eric Pickles, insists on return of white dog shit. #broughtbackbygoveNeil McOnie White dog shit #broughtbackbygoveOwen Gove to scrap brown dog shit and bring back white dog shit #broughtbackbygoveAlex Wilson White dog shit, aka Gove’s education policy #broughtbackbygoveBrown Moses Some just liked anachronisms #broughtbackbygove Gove to scrap mammals and bring back the dinosaursMark By this morning, the hashtag had changed to #govelevels thanks to John Prescott: Gove is abolishing Celsius. Back to Fahrenheit in order to raise temperatures. #govelevelsMichael Rosen So we’re going to cause massive unrest in our school changing from GCSEs to #GOveLevels just to please the Daily Mail?John Prescott I’m sure all those kids who’ve just finished slogging their guts out for GCSEs will be gutted they’re not up to “gold standard” #GoveLevelsRowenna And finally, ewwwwwwwww: I do think the most horrendous #broughtbackbygove is simply “sexy”Jonathan Haynes Content from our partners Unlocking the potential of a national asset, St Pancras International Richard Thorp Time for Labour to turn the tide on children’s health Nikita Sinclair How can we deliver better rail journeys for customers? Samir Jeraj Related Comment Liz Truss, Angela Rayner and the perils of partisanship Books Your fandom isn’t funny The Staggers PMQs review: Starmer lays a Truss trap for Sunak
View all newsletters
