Education Secretary Michael Gove would vote for Britain to leave the EU if there was a referendum today, he has said.

He said Andrew Marr show "life outside would be perfectly tolerable, we could contemplate it".

But he said the best course was to follow David Cameron's plan to renegotiate powers and "lead" the change Europe needed.

And then to put the in/out question to the public in a referendum.

Mr Gove is the most senior Conservative to date to publicly contemplate backing Britain's exit from the EU, although "friends" of the cabinet minister have previously told a newspaper that is where he stands.

"I am not happy with our position in the European Union but my preference is for a change in Britain's relationship with the European Union," said Mr Gove.

Tory backbenchers have tabled an amendment to the Queen's Speech regretting the absence of legislation paving the way for a referendum in the government's plans for the year ahead.

Mr Gove described this as "letting off steam".

And he said he planned to abstain if there was a Commons vote on the amendment.

"My own view is let the prime minister lay out our negotiating strategy, make sure he has a majority, which I am convinced he will secure at the next election, and let's have the referendum then."

Home Secretary Theresa May also said she would abstain in the Commons vote, which will be held on Tuesday or Wednesday if it is called by Speaker John Bercow, BBC News reported.