Michael Gove's deputy has spoken out in favour of a Norway-style arrangement with the European Union if Theresa May's Brexit deal is blocked by MPs.

George Eustice, a Brexiteer who is a senior minister in the environment department, said there was "growing momentum" behind a plan to remain part of the European Economic Area, outside of the EU, under which he said the UK would have "full control over our farming and fisheries" as well as its trade policy with the rest of the world.

His intervention follows reports that Mr Gove, the Environment Secretary and a leading pro-Leave campaigner, had held talks with colleagues about adopting a Norway-style "plan B" if Mrs May's deal collapses.

The arrangement would require the UK to follow Single Market rules, including allowing continued freedom of movement, as well as to pay into the EU budget.

A version advocated by Nick Boles, another ally of Mr Gove, would also require the country to remain in a customs union with the EU.

Mr Eustice, a former aide to David Cameron, said the plan B he advocated would allow the UK to form "our own trade policy with the rest of the world" - suggesting it would not involve such an arrangement.

In a posting to constituents on his website, Mr Eustice describes the UK's departure from the European Free Trade Association, of which Norway remains a member, as an "historic error".

"If the Prime Minister's deal fails to command a majority, we could opt for a model similar to Norway and Iceland," he said.

"Under this option we would leave the EU but remain a signatory to the EEA or re-join the looser EFTA group.

"We would have full control of our farming and our fisheries, free trade with Europe, and our own trade policy with the rest of the world.

"We would have to align some of our laws with the EU, but we would be an independent country again."

He added: "It was actually Britain that created EFTA in the late 1950's as a rival idea to the EU. Initially we had an alliance of seven countries, including Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. The EU only had six members.

"We made a terrible mistake in 1972 by abandoning what we had created and surrendering our independence to the EU.

"It was a foreign policy blunder caused by the collapse of national confidence in the aftermath of the empire. Maybe, in the end, we will put right that historic error and pick up where we left off."