YOU should “start to worry Michael Gove is spinning you a line” when you “see his lips moving”, according to an SNP MSP.

George Adam hit out at the Cabinet Office Minister after he claimed the UK’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic could be hindered by extending the Brexit transition period.

Gove said continuing it beyond the end of 2020 could leave the UK “on the hook” for a significant sum of cash.

He said if the current arrangements are extended, the UK’s “ability to meaningfully put in place the measures which might help us to ensure we have an effective recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic would be less”.

However, Adam fired back: “When should you start to worry Michael Gove is spinning you a line? When you see his lips moving.”

“This is the man who led the main Leave campaign in 2016 promising Scotland that a Leave vote would mean that all EU level powers would be ‘automatically devolved to the Scottish Parliament’, and now supports Westminster taking those powers.

“This is the man who promised in 2016 a Leave vote means “there won’t be a sudden change that disrupts the economy” and now threatens catastrophic disruption.

“This is the man who promised immigration powers would be devolved if there was a Leave vote and now opposes that.”

FACT CHECK: More Michael Gove nonsense on payments to the EU

Gove told MSPs on Holyrood’s Europe Committee that the UK Government will not be extending the transition period – despite repeated calls from the Scottish Government for this to be considered.

Committee convener Joan McAlpine raised concerns that without an extension the UK could be facing the “double disaster of a Covid recession and a No-Deal or low-deal Brexit”. But Gove said an agreement had been reached to accelerate the pace of negotiations.

If no deal can be reached with the EU on future relations, concerns have been raised about the impact having to use World Trade Organisation rules would have on businesses.