VIDEO ARCHIVE: WHEN GOVE CALLED SCOTS "DRUNKEN BEGGARS" FOR LAUGHS

Michael Gove labelled his fellow Scots "drunks" and "unattractive creatures" usually found begging on the London Underground.

The MP for Surrey Heath gave a scathing profile of his fellow countrymen more than 20 years ago when he co-hosted a topical discussion programme on Channel 4, in a tone that was not dissimilar to the one adopted by Ruth Davidson, when she joked at a Tory Party conference that Scots were vandals and thieves.

His brutal monologue on the short-lived show, dismisses the image of Scots as capable professionals in the guise of former TV favourites Dr Finlay Hudson in Upstairs Downstairs and Star Trek's Scotty.

In a cringing attempt at humour, the former journalist, who is currently engaged in trying to keep this nation of beggars and drunks tied into the United Kingdom, said: "For most English people the Scot is an unattractive creature.

"Most Scots in London are not professionals, they're not in journalism, the law or in business, they're usually in the London underground—begging."

And in his clipped Scottish accent, Gove, who co-presented the 1992 show with real comedian (or so we're told) David Baddiel, suggested a picture of Rab C Nesbitt was a more accurate representation, pointing out: "They're handicapped only by their impenetrable accent."

This is obviously an area which hasn't been "a handicap" for him. So proud of his Scottish accent is he, that he doesn't use it anymore, he's now a perfectly spoken English gentleman.

The 51-year-old Aberdonian, who admitted to participating in illegal drug use round about this time, also took a swing at Scotland's politicians of the day, in particular, the then new Labour leader John Smith, suggesting: "The Scots ability to wheedle money out of the English isn't restricted to drunks on the embankment.

"Drunks in Westminster have shown they're good at it too.

"A Scot rarely opens his mouth in parliament without simultaneously extending an outstretched palm."

The programme was axed after just one series, with co-host David Baddiel later admitting that the show was wrong "in so many ways". We agree, Dave.