Negotiate a new deal, UK tells Berlin and Paris

IN A POLICY SHIFT, BRITAIN TO END EU-FREE MOVEMENT AFTER BREXIT ON OCTOBER 31

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on France and Germany yesterday to change their position on Brexit and negotiate a new exit deal for Britain, reiterating his stance that he is ready to leave the EU without a deal if they do not.

With Britain is set to leave the bloc on October 31, it has less than 74 days to resolve a threeyear crisis that is pitting the country against the EU, and parliament against the executive.

“We will be ready to come out on October 31 — deal or no deal,” Johnson said.

“Our friends and partners on the other side of the Channel are showing a little bit of reluctance to change their position — that’s fine — I am confident that they will,” he said. Asked about meetings scheduled this week with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, he said: “I hope they will see fit to compromise.” Johnson took office last month after his predecessor, Theresa May, failed three times to get parliament to approve the withdrawal deal. In his first foreign trip as prime minister, Johnson will meet Merkel in Berlin tomorrow and Macron in Paris on Thursday.

In a policy shift under Johnson, a Downing Street spokeswoman said Britain will immediately end freedom of movement for people

from the EU after Brexit on October 31. “Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on October 31 when the UK leaves the EU,” said. The government planned “tougher criminality rules for people entering the UK” as part of the new hardline stance, she added.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, appealed to ‘nodeal’ rebels to help him bring down Johnson.

We do support the recall of parliament in order to prevent the prime minister having some kind of manoeuvre to take us out on the 31st of October.” Jeremy Corbyn | Labour party leader

We will be ready to come out on October 31 — deal or no deal. Our friends and partners on the other side of the Channel are showing a little bit of reluctance to change their position.” Boris Johnson | British prime minister

British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined calls for parliament to be recalled, saying during a speech in Corby, central England, that “we will do everything to stop a no-deal Brexit”.

He said Prime Minister Boris Johnson must not be allowed to use parliamentary procedure to block discussion of the country’s future, referring to concerns that Johnson could suspend the legislature until after October 31 or delay a national election even if his government fell before that date.

‘National emergency’

“We do support the recall of parliament in order to prevent the prime minister having some kind of manoeuvre to take us out on the 31st of October without any further discussion in parliament,” Corbyn said.

His comments added weight to a demand made on Sunday, signed by more than 100 lawmakers, for a parliamentary recall to discuss what they called a “national emergency”.

Parliament is currently not due to sit until September 3, when it will reconvene for a short session before breaking up again to allow for annual party conferences.

A government source said Michael Gove, the minister in charge of coordinating no deal preparations, would give a statement to parliament as soon as it returns, updating them on the latest progress. He would commit to give regular updates, the source said.