Boris plays hardball on Brexit

BORIS Johnson has urged guage to put pressure on the “No country that values its s Brussels to drop its opposition remaining EU27. independence, and, indeed, its s to a new Brexit deal and return Mr Johnson has underlined self respect, could agree to a the table for negotiations. aar r

his determination to take Brittreaty which signed away our In his first statement to MPs ain out of the EU by the end of economic independence and d as Prime Minister, Mr Johnson October, warning that failure self-government as this back- (pictured) said he would work to do so would lead to a “catastop does,” he said. “flat out” to secure an agreestrophic loss of confidence” in European Commission n ment on the EU withdrawal. the political system. President Jean-Claude Junc-

At the same time, he said Despite the fears of many ker warned Johnson in a the Government was “turboMPs that he is setting the phone call later in the day thatt charging” preparations for a country on course for a nothe deal the EU struck with his no-deal break on October 31 if deal break, Mr Johnson insistpredecessor last year was “the the EU refused to engage in ed he would still prefer to leave best and only” one, an EUU dialogue. with a new agreement in place. spokeswoman said.

In Brussels, the EU’s chief However, he said the forMr Johnson stuck to his negotiator Michel Barnier said mer Withdrawal Agreement guns, however, telling Mrr Mr Johnson’s demands were was “unacceptable” and that Juncker that the backstop had “unacceptable” and accused the Northern Ireland backstop to go, a spokesman from the him of using “combative” lan- had to go. Prime Minister’s office said.