Michael Gove has said he is “deeply concerned” about a housing association’s suspension of its chair after a social media post about Hamas attracted criticism.

Former Labour minister Lord Ian Austin was suspended last week after posting on X, formerly Twitter, “Everyone, better safe than sorry: before you go to bed, nip down and check you haven’t inadvertently got a death cult of Islamist murderers and rapists running their operations downstairs. It’s easily done.” The post, which attracted criticism on social media, was subsequently deleted.