Boris Johnson has pledged to get the UK “match fit for no deal” as he repeated his pledge to leave the European Union on 31 October “come what may”.
Writing on the BrexitCentral website, the Conservative leadership favourite said there would be “no second chances” and insisted the Halloween deadline was “not fake”.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Johnson wrote: “We need a change of direction. That’s why we must treat October 31 as a real deadline for leaving the EU, come what may, not a fake one.”
He repeated his promise to protect the rights of EU expats in the UK and to place the £39bn divorce settlement in a state of “creative ambiguity” for use as leverage to close a deal.
Speaking of future negotiations with Brussels, he said: “If our friends feel they cannot agree, then we will be match fit for no deal.”
His latest broadside comes after he was warned that more than 30 Tory MPs could rebel to block a no-deal Brexit if he tried to force it through Parliament.
Johnson refuses to rule out proroguing parliament, only going so far as to say that he was not “attracted” to the idea. Yesterday, he added that he was not “remotely aiming for a no-deal outcome”, saying: “That’s not where I think we will end up.”
Sam Gyimah, a former minister and one of the original Tory leadership contenders, told The Times that “30-plus” Conservative MPs were exploring legislative options to prevent a no-deal exit and examining ways to stop the next prime minister from suspending parliament.
Barry Gardiner, Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, has told Sky News that his party was having conversations with Tory MPs about a potential no-confidence motion in the government to block a no-deal exit.
-
Political cartoons for January 18Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include cost of living, endless supply of greed, and more
-
Exploring ancient forests on three continentsThe Week Recommends Reconnecting with historic nature across the world
-
How oil tankers have been weaponisedThe Explainer The seizure of a Russian tanker in the Atlantic last week has drawn attention to the country’s clandestine shipping network
-
The high street: Britain’s next political battleground?In the Spotlight Mass closure of shops and influx of organised crime are fuelling voter anger, and offer an opening for Reform UK
-
Biggest political break-ups and make-ups of 2025The Explainer From Trump and Musk to the UK and the EU, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a round-up of the year’s relationship drama
-
‘The menu’s other highlights smack of the surreal’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Is a Reform-Tory pact becoming more likely?Today’s Big Question Nigel Farage’s party is ahead in the polls but still falls well short of a Commons majority, while Conservatives are still losing MPs to Reform
-
Asylum hotels: everything you need to knowThe Explainer Using hotels to house asylum seekers has proved extremely unpopular. Why, and what can the government do about it?
-
Taking the low road: why the SNP is still standing strongTalking Point Party is on track for a fifth consecutive victory in May’s Holyrood election, despite controversies and plummeting support
-
Is Britain turning into ‘Trump’s America’?Today’s Big Question Direction of UK politics reflects influence and funding from across the pond
-
Behind the ‘Boriswave’: Farage plans to scrap indefinite leave to remainThe Explainer The problem of the post-Brexit immigration surge – and Reform’s radical solution
