Electoral reform: Alternative vote opponents hit by Minister mix-up

Education Secretary Michael Gove was included on a list of high-profile cross-party "patrons" issued by the "No to AV" group.

He was hastily removed after a "small misunderstanding" over emails but a campaign spokesman said that, while he would not speak for it publicly, Mr Gove was "against" AV and would be "campaigning against it".

But Mr Gove's spokesman insisted that was not true and the Cabinet minister was yet to make up his mind about his stance for next May's vote on replacing the present first-past-the-post system for general elections.

"He is undecided on this issue," he said.

Mr Gove was initially billed as part of a heavyweight line-up of patrons recruited to publicly front the "no campaign". Labour former cabinet ministers Margaret Beckett, John Prescott, David Blunkett, John Reid and Lord Falconer are all among the patrons.

They will work alongside senior Tories such as Foreign Secretary William Hague, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke and party chairman Baroness Warsi.

Allowing a public vote – due to be held on May 5 – was a key concession won by the Liberal Democrats as part of coalition negotiations with the Conservatives.