UK's Gove quips: 'I am very fond of experts' opinion'

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - One of Britain's most influential Brexiteers, who once provoked scorn by suggesting that voters had had enough of experts, said on Tuesday he was very fond of the opinion of experts.

When asked by Scottish National Party lawmaker Margaret Ferrier whether the government would heed the opinions of experts and so extend the Brexit transition period, British Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove quipped:

"Well I am very fond of experts' opinion."

"And the universal view of experts is that Scotland operates the largest deficit of any country in Europe and were it to become independent, it would be perilous for the people of the country that I love."

Before the 2016 Brexit referendum, Gove said: "people in this country have had enough of experts" when quizzed about which economists backed a UK exit from the EU. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison)