Boris sets out vision

Johnson says he is the man to be Prime Minister, fix Brexit

BORIS Johnson says only he can see off both Nigel Farage and Labour as he urges Conservative MPs and party members to make him their next leader and prime minister.

The frontrunner to be Britain’s next leader said he would refuse to pay the promised £39 billion ($71 billion) to the European Union unless better Brexit terms are on offer.

Meanwhile his leadership rival Michael Gove has found himself caught up in a cocaine controversy after admitting using the drug on “several occasions”.

In his first major interview of the campaign, Mr Johnson told The Sunday Times he could defeat the twin threat posed by the leaders of the Brexit Party and Labour – comparing their leaders to the sea monsters from Greek mythology which troubled Odysseus. “I truly believe only I can steer the country between the Scylla and Charybdis of (Jeremy) Corbyn and Farage and on to calmer water,” he said.

“This can only be achieved by delivering Brexit as promised on October 31 and delivering a One Nation Tory agenda.”

On Brexit, he said he would scrap the backstop, something the EU has so far refused to do, and would settle the Irish border issue only when Brussels is ready to agree to a future relationship.

The $71 billion settlement would only be paid when there is “greater clarity” about the way forward, the former mayor of London said.

“I always thought it was extraordinary that we should agree to write the entire cheque before having a final deal,” Mr Johnson said.

As Theresa May resigned as Tory leader on Friday after some torrid Brexit wrangling, the starting gun was fired for the race to replace her.

The nomination process will take place today, with candidates requiring eight MPs to back them in order to enter the race, with the first round of voting on Thursday.