Justice Secretary piles pressure on PM rival Andrea Leadsom as she dithers over revealing tax returns

MICHAEL Gove has turned the screw on his rival Andrea Leadsom by publishing his tax returns on the eve of her campaign launch for the Tory crown.

The Justice Secretary piled on the pressure hours after the former star banker and Brexit campaigner hesitated on live TV when asked if she would come clean about her own financial affairs.

Mr Gove launched another fierce defence of last week’s knifing of Boris Johnson, saying he believed BoJo did not have the “grip” to be PM.

And he insisted the move proved he had the courage to go head-to-head with world leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Mr Gove said: “You’ve got to take a particular step, not to flinch, so I think Vladimir Putin will know that whatever else I am, I am not a soft touch.”

The tax returns show Mr Gove paid £40,493 of income tax on £117,239 of earnings in 2013-2014 and £28,209 on £86,457 after he was pushed out as Education Secretary in 2014-2015.

They will heighten concerns within the Leadsom camp that her City past could derail the stunning momentum behind her campaign.

A former banker with 25 years’ experience, she has been dogged by accusations, vehemently denied, that her family has used legal methods to minimise tax.

In 2014 she was engulfed in controversy over claims she put shares in her buy-to-let property company in trusts for her kids, which can cut inheritance tax burden.

She also received £70,000 from a firm based in London but owned by her Guernsey-based brother-in-law, financier Peter de Putron, via a holding company in the British Virgin Islands.

Ms Leadsom was visibly caught off guard when questioned on BBC’s flagship Andrew Marr show whether she would follow David Cameron’s example and publish her tax returns.

She said: “I’m . . . I’m . . . Would I do it?

“Yes, I mean I’m perfectly happy to publish . . . I would not want to make MPs have to do that.

“I’ll have to think about that.”

When pressed by the presenter: “Could you just say yes?”

She replied: “Yes.”

Grilled himself ten minutes later, Mr Gove said he would publish: “Of course.”

But angry Leadsom supporters hit out at what they insisted were “dirty tricks” designed to smear their candidate, who is currently second favourite behind Theresa May in the race for No10.

The tax row came after opponents labelled Ms Leadsom a hypocrite as a speech emerged from 2013 in which she claimed: “I don’t think the UK should leave the EU.

“I think it would be a disaster for our economy”.

Her campaign manager Tim Loughton MP took to Twitter to say his side had “no time for silly games”.

He said: “The team is under strict instructions to focus relentlessly on positives of why Andrea is the best choice for Britain.

“As the Fresh Start candidate, Andrea Leadsom is about a Fresh Start for politics where we don’t have to undermine opponents to make our point.”

Fellow supporter Bernard Jenkin told The Sun: “They are going for her now, aren’t they?”

But the row threatens to overshadow the campaign launch today as Ms Leadsom was hoping to focus on the need for a “quickie divorce” from Brussels.

A spokesman last night insisted she would only publish her tax returns if she makes it through to the final two candidates next week.

Ms Leadsom was a key member of Vote Leave in the build-up to the EU Referendum alongside Mr Gove.

Sources said Mr Gove’s decision to ditch Boris Johnson was so unpopular with grass roots it could leave him finishing fourth in the race.

Mr Gove insisted he was not a “political serial killer”.

He said BoJo had great talents and great abilities but lacked “that grip, that executive authority, that strength of purpose, that clarity”.

He added: “Boris could have chosen to go on (for the leadership).

“The fact he didn’t was telling.”