Johnson commits to leaving EU on October 31
Boris Johnson is speaking to about 100 MPs and reiterating many of the things he has said before, including a promise to leave the EU by October 31.
"We are facing an existential crisis and will not be forgiven if we do not deliver Brexit on Oct 31. I believe I am best placed to lift this party, beat Jeremy Corbyn and excite people about conservatism and conservative values."
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"I don't want a no deal Brexit. No one sensible would. But in order to be successful we must get ready for it. The more determined we are to pursue no deal the less likely we will have to deploy it."
This is a pie-in-the-sky stance because I don't believe the EU will reopen negotiations. There is no solution to the Irish border issue. Maybe he could finagle some changes in the political declaration but that isn't going to fool anyone.
So this stance might make him PM but it's going to be a quick downfall, especially if he's forced to make leaving on Oct 31 a cornerstone of his policy.
How I imagine it will work is that he will let the government fall on Brexit and force an election call where he hopes to get a large Conservative majority. That's the only way a Brexit is viable so long as parliament has the final say.
