Michael Gove: People could live with Brexit delay

The Environment Secretary said the public would accept an extension of Article 50 providing it was clear that the UK was "on course" to leave.

But he denied that delaying Brexit was now inevitable, saying it was "entirely possible" that Theresa May could get a clear majority for her withdrawal deal when it returns to Parliament.

WATCH: Michael Gove on Brexit

This week Mrs May accepted for the first time that Brexit may run on past the March 29 deadline, offering MPs a vote on a Brexit extension should her deal fail.

Mr Gove was in Walsall to visit the Suez waste transfer site on Fryers Road, where he met with Walsall North MP Eddie Hughes and council leader Mike Bird to discuss the borough's efforts to boost recycling and clamp down on fly-tippers.

Addressing the progress of the Government's Brexit deal, he told the Express & Star that an extension of Article 50 was "nowhere near" inevitable.

"If we manage to get a clear majority for the Prime Minister's deal then there is no automatic requirement to delay Article 50," Mr Gove said.

He said it was "entirely possible" that the withdrawal deal would pass, adding: "Some of my colleagues have shown a combination of principle and pragmatism that I think characterises the best politicians, by saying they do want to see changes, but if those changes can be secured they will be prepared to be flexible in other areas and back the Prime Minister.

"I hope it will not be delayed. I think the most important thing is that it is delivered, but I think people could live with a short delay providing they knew that we were on course to leave."

Mr Gove said he was sad to see the departure of his former departmental colleague George Eustice, who quit the Government this week over Mrs May's promise to allow MPs a vote on delaying Brexit.

"I worked very closely with George, so I'm really sad that he's gone, but I understand and respect the reasons why he has chosen to do so," he said.

"George made a personal decision and his [resignation] letter says it all.

"George has made it clear the reasons why he felt he needed to leave the Government, but he also underlined that he will be voting for the Prime Minister and her deal whenever it comes back to the House of Commons."

Last week three pro-Europe Tory MPs quit the party over Brexit, but Mr Gove said he does not expect any more resignations.

Asked if he feared that more MPs would quit, he said: "I don't think so, no. The Conservative Party as a whole recognises that what we want is to get a deal over the line and to get a deal over the line with reassurance, specifically over the issue of the backstop on the Irish border.

"Geoffrey Cox is in Brussels making sure that we can get that reassurance, and I think we've heard this week from friends and colleagues like Jacob Rees-Mogg and John Whittingdale a desire to make sure that we can get the changes necessary to get the deal over the line."

During his visit Mr Gove praised the Tory-run council for bringing back fortnightly brown bin collections and improving recycling. "They have really shown the way when it comes to waste and recycling policy," he said.