Michael Gove saw the funny side of Labour’s jibe about ‘torpedoing’ Boris Johnson, when he was asked about the government’s controversial planning reforms in the House of Commons this afternoon.

The new housing secretary notoriously sabotaged Boris Johnson’s first attempt to become prime minister, by launching his own failed leadership bid following David Cameron’s Brexit-inflicted resignation in 2016.

Commenting on reports that the government will look again at the planning bill, shadow planning minister Ruth Cadbury said “I haven’t seen the right honourable gentleman torpedo something so effectively since he sunk the prime minister’s leadership bid in 2016.”

The MP for Surrey Heath laughed off the comment, remarking that “one of the things about committing political suicide is that you always live to regret it.”