Michael Gove said he would vote for Theresa May's Brexit deal again if it returned to Parliament.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who is in charge of no deal planning, told MPs the deal was a “compromise”.
His comments came the day after MPs passed an amendment paving the way for a return of Mrs May’s deal to Parliament.
Appearing before the Commons Exiting the European Union Select Committee, Mr Gove pointed out he had repeatedly voted for Mrs May’s deal despite having concerns about the backstop.
Tory MP Stephen Crabb, who sits on the committee, subsequently asked Mr Gove: “If somehow the deal that the previous prime minister negotiated with the EU came back to the House of Commons, would you vote for it?”
Mr Gove said: “Yes” adding: “I voted three times for the deal and it was a compromise.”
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster added: “There were parts of that deal that I didn’t like, and I had a particular concern about the backstop for a variety of reasons.
“The Prime Minister’s view that we can surgically excise the backstop means that, to my mind, the deal that he would secure as a result of that would be better.
“So while I would happily support and did happily support Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement, I believe that our new Prime Minister is in a position where the deal that he hopes to secure would be a material improvement.”
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