Prime minister ready to set out final offer to EU

PM will tell EU he will not seek an extension beyond October 31

Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal will be delivered to Brussels today with the message there will be no delay beyond October 31.

British officials have made clear to EU counterparts that the legal texts to be presented are a final offer and that unless Brussels will engage there will be no more talks until after Brexit.

The prime minister will restate his commitment to the October 31 date, despite legislation aimed at preventing him taking the UK out of the EU without a deal unless he has the consent of Parliament.

In his speech, Mr Johnson will say: “Voters are desperate for us to focus on their other priorities. What people want, what leavers want, what remainers want, what the whole world wants is to move on.

“That is why we are coming out of the EU on October 31.”

Mr Johnson is avoiding today’s regular Prime Minister’s Questions to deliver his conference speech after MPs refused to vote for a Commons recess for the Tory gathering.

The speech will also be used by Mr Johnson to target Labour.

Ahead of the election he wants, Mr Johnson will turn his fire on Jeremy Corbyn, saying: “Corbyn wants to turn the whole of 2020 – which should be a great year for this country – into the chaos and cacophony of two more referendums – a second referendum on Scottish independence, even though the people of Scotland were promised that the 2014 vote would be a oncein-a-generation vote, and a second referendum on the EU, even though we were promised that the 2016 vote would be a once-in-a-generation vote.

“Can you imagine another three years of this? That is the Corbyn agenda – stay in the EU beyond October 31, paying a billion pounds a month for the privilege, followed by years of uncertainty for business and everyone else.

“My friends, I am afraid that after three-and-a-half years people are beginning to feel that they are being taken for fools.

“They are beginning to suspect that there are forces in this country that simply don’t want Brexit delivered at all.

“And if they turn out to be right in that suspicion then I believe there will be grave consequences for trust in democracy.”

Mr Johnson’s speech will close a conference beset by difficulties.

The prime minister has faced allegations he squeezed journalist Charlotte Edwardes’ thigh at a dinner in 1999 – a claim he denied despite admitting he did not remember the lunch at which the incident is said to have happened.

He has also been dogged by questions about his alleged affair with Jennifer Arcuri and whether he granted her preferential treatment while he was mayor of London.

He insists nothing improper took place.

Picture: PA. The Prime Minister preparing his speech to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.