Johnson defiant on European exit
No-show at press conference but PM confident after talks
BORIS Johnson has reaffirmed he would leave the European Union without a deal on October 31 after he was taunted on a visit to Luxembourg for Brexit talks.
Mr Johnson was jeered not only by anti-Brexit crowds in Europe on Monday, but even the Luxembourg prime minister joined in on the heckling.
The British Prime Minister had refused to attend a press conference in front of an angry mob, with European officials declining to move it inside.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel went ahead with the press conference and an empty podium where Mr Johnson would have stood.
Later in the day Mr Johnson told the BBC that he was adamant the UK would leave on October 31.
“We’re going to come out on October 31st and it’s vital that people understand that the UK will not extend,” he “We won’t go on remaining in the EU beyond October. What on earth is the point? Do you know how much it costs?”
Mr Johnson had lunch with EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss Brexit.
There were mixed reports on how the talks had progressed.
Mr Johnson said that the UK “had a good chance of a deal” after the meeting.
“Over the last couple of weeks there’s been a lot of work, papers have been shared but we are now in the stage where we have to start really accelerating the work. That was the agreement today,” Mr Johnson said.
“We’ve got to manage this carefully. Yes, we’ve got a good chance of a deal. Yes, I can see the shape of it. Everybody could see roughly what could be done.
“But it will require movesaid. ment. And it will require the system in which the EU can control the UK after we leave – the so-called backstop – to go from that treaty.”
The UK will have to seek an extension to Brexit on October 19 unless a deal can be reached, under an emergency law passed by Remainer MPs.
The EU has demanded that the UK comes up with new proposals to solve problems with the Irish border under Brexit.