Johnson warns EU he won’t delay Brexit
LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the European Union on Sunday he will not delay Brexit beyond Oct 31, underlining that his latest proposals are a last chance to reach a deal.
Mr Johnson told French President Emmanuel Macron in a telephone call on Sunday that “the EU should not be lured into the mistaken belief that the UK will stay in the EU after October 31st”, a Downing Street spokesman quoted him as saying.
The UK premier said he would not request another delay, despite British MPs passing a law last month that requires him to seek another Brexit delay if he fails to secure an agreement by the end of a make-or-break EU summit on Oct 17-18.
This law was “undermining negotiations, but if EU leaders are betting that it will prevent no deal, that would be a historic misunderstanding”, a senior Downing Street source said.
“The UK has made a big offer but it is time for the [European] Commission to show a willingness to compromise too. If not, the UK will leave with no deal,” the source added.
Britain has urged the EU to intensify talks over the proposals, as European leaders warned it must revise its plans within days in order to conclude a deal this month.
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the bloc needed to show its “creativity and flexibility” ahead of Oct 31 — when Mr Johnson has vowed to end the country’s 46 years of EU membership.
With the EU asking for reworked proposals within days, an Elysee Palace spokesperson said that Mr Macron agreed in his call with Mr Johnson that talks between EU top negotiator Michel Barnier’s team and British officials should continue in the coming days “to assess whether an agreement is possible”.
Mr Barclay reiterated that the ideas Mr Johnson has formally submitted to Brussels were “a broad landing zone” and “intense negotiations” were now necessary.
“We’ve set out some very serious proposals including a compromise from our side,” he told the BBC in a statement.