PM DENIES LINK WITH BUSINESSWOMAN

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has “no interest to declare” in his links to an American businesswoman who a Sunday Times report says received favourable treatment because of their friendship during his time as mayor of London. Johnson was asked during a BBC interview on Sunday about his ties to Jennifer Arcuri. Johnson says “everything was done with full propriety” after the office of the Greater London Authority on Friday announced it was referring a “conduct matter” involving Johnson to the Independent Office for

Police Conduct.

AP

Brexit on October the 31st ... I’m going to get on and do it,” he told BBC television.

Asked if he would resign to avoid having to ask for a delay, Johnson said: “No, I have undertaken to lead the party and my country at a difficult time and I am going to continue to do that. I believe it is my responsibility.”

Opposition lawmakers have been highly critical of Johnson’s reference to “the surrender bill”, saying his language is stirring more division in a country that has remained split since the 2016 referendum on EU membership.

Though the option of bringing

a vote of no confidence in Johnson has been mooted in some quarters, Labour’s education policy chief Angela Rayner said the party wants to “get no deal off the table” before it does anything else. But time is running out on efforts to avoid a potentially chaotic departure from the EU, which many businesses say could hurt the economy and tip the country into recession. The government is expected this week to present proposals aimed at overcoming the main stumbling block in talks - the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.