Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Boris Johnson declares Brexit will happen under his leadership on October 31st – ‘do or die, come what may’… Boris Johnson has declared Brexit will happen on October 31 – “do or die”. The former Foreign Secretary finally made a cast-iron pledge NOT to extend extend the date Britain leaves the EU. And he said: “We are getting ready to come out on October the 31st. Come what may.” But he did not clearly say if he’ll resign if he breaks his pledge. Mr Johnson’s comments will prompt a surge of popularity with the 160,000 Tory members who vote for the next PM. They are ramping up of his Brexiteer rhetoric as he appoints hard Leaver Iain Duncan Smith as his campaign manager, according to The Times. But they are set to spark mutiny in Parliament – where Remainer MPs have warned 12 Tories would vote no-confidence in the government to stop No Deal. That would be enough to topple the new PM and force a general election just weeks after he takes office. Mr Johnson made the comments in an interview with TalkRadio after days of dodging a cast-iron guarantee. He said: “We are getting ready to come out on October the 31st. Come what may.” Asked if he would come out on October 31 “do or die”, he replied: “Do or die. Come what may.” Later Mr Johnson was asked if he could “categorically rule out” a further extension to Brexit beyond October 31. He replied: “Yes, let me tell you why. Okay. Because it would be up to the prime minister of the day. I have myself, uh, to decide under the current terms of the extension that we have, to apply for such an extension. Okay.” – Mirror …and challenges Jeremy Hunt to match his commitment to deliver Brexit by that deadline… Boris Johnson has challenged Jeremy Hunt – his rival for the Tory leadership – to commit to taking Britain out of the EU by the end of October. After days avoiding journalists’ questions, the former foreign secretary sought to get his campaign back on track, declaring he would deliver Brexit by the Halloween deadline “come what may” and “do or die”, should he become prime minister. In focusing on the deadline of October 31, the date by which Mr Johnson has stated the UK will leave the EU with or without a deal, he sought to appeal to Tory voters with his black and white standpoint, compared to Mr Hunt who has said he would like to exit the bloc by this point, but has not stated it as a hard and fast rule. Mr Hunt, meanwhile, hit back at his rival, dismissing October 31 as a “fake deadline” which would more likely result in a general election which could hand the keys of No 10 to Jeremy Corbyn. The Foreign Secretary suggested Mr Johnson would be unable to win the trust of other EU leaders to successfully negotiate a new Brexit deal with Brussels. – ITV News Boris Johnson to pull Britain out of EU ‘do or die’ – The Times (£) …but Hunt says it is a ‘fake deadline’, warning that pushing for it could spark a general election… Jeremy Hunt has described October 31 as a “fake deadline” for Brexit and warned that aiming for it could spark a general election. The foreign secretary and Tory leadership candidate said he felt that committing to the Halloween date could spark a situation which “would hand the keys to Jeremy Corbyn”. I think that 31st of October come hell or high water is a fake deadline, because it’s more likely to trip us into a general election before we’ve delivered Brexit, and that would hand the keys to Jeremy Corbyn and then we’d have no Brexit at all,” he told the BBC. His comments came after his rival and leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson challenged him to commit to October 31 or set another date if he would not. Continuing his bid for the leadership, Mr Hunt also said he is the candidate for the Tory leadership who can be trusted to deliver Brexit. He told the BBC: “Both Boris and I want to change that deal, and the judgment is, who is the person we trust as PM to go to Brussels and bring back that deal?” It’s about the personality of our PM. If you choose someone where there’s no trust, there’s going to be no negotiation, no deal. And quite possibly a general election, which could mean we have no Brexit either.” – Evening Standard Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt divided over Brexit plans – BBC News …and suggests an ‘untrustworthy’ leader could be end of Brexit Jeremy Hunt has warned that an untrustworthy Tory leader could lead to no Brexit at all — but denied that he was talking about Boris Johnson. The foreign secretary also denounced Mr Johnson’s October 31 “do or die” deadline to take the UK out of the European Union as “fake”. In an interview with the BBC, Mr Hunt played down the idea that he was calling Mr Johnson untrustworthy, insisting that he would never say that. He added, however, that the appointment of a Conservative leader in whom there was no trust would mean no negotiation and no Brexit deal. “And quite possibly a general election, which could mean we have no Brexit either,” he said. “Because in the end you don’t do a deal with someone you don’t trust.” Mr Hunt, 52, admitted that he had been wanting to run for No 10 for three decades. “I have been waiting for this moment for 30 years of my life,” he said. “I have been sitting around that [cabinet] table thinking about how I want to transform our country.” – The Times (£) Hunt says Brexit negotiation is a matter of ‘trust’ in swipe at Johnson – Independent Johnson acknowledges that tariff-free trade in a no-deal scenario would need EU consent… Boris Johnson has admitted that a vital part of his Brexit strategy can only work if he strikes a deal with the EU, undermining his claim that Britain can execute an orderly no-deal exit. The Tory leadership frontrunner attempted on Tuesday to launch a fightback after a turbulent start to his four-week campaign to win the backing of Conservative members, undertaking a series of interviews and with a “walkabout” to meet supporters planned. His media advisers have so far tried to shield Mr Johnson from public scrutiny, but his rival Jeremy Hunt’s jibe that he is a “coward” has started to gain traction, prompting an abrupt change of tactic. Mr Johnson’s Brexit policy came under fire in an LBC radio interview, in which he was forced to concede that Britain could not hope to agree a “standstill” trade relationship with the EU after Brexit unless the other 27 EU member states agreed. “What you can’t do is unilaterally use a Gatt 24 solution,” Mr Johnson said, referring to the World Trade Organization rule that Brexiters maintain would offer a relatively pain-free route to a no-deal exit. “But you could agree with our EU friends and partners to go forward together on that basis,” he said. He is seeking the approval of the Tory party’s largely Eurosceptic 160,000 members in a run-off with Mr Hunt that will be decided by the week of July 22. – FT(£) Boris Johnson backtracks on claim UK could escape punishing tariffs if it crashes out of EU – Independent > WATCH: Boris Johnson’s interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC …as he recruits former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith to chair his campaign Boris Johnson has appointed Iain Duncan Smith as his “campaign chairman”, in a move likely to alarm moderate Conservatives backing his leadership bid. The decision to pick the former Tory leader and arch-Brexiteer appeared to be a recognition of the need to bring in a heavyweight to bolster the campaign, now under heavy fire from Jeremy Hunt. No explanation was given, but Mr Johnson’s bid has been disrupted by apparent splits within his camp over media strategy, with criticism that he has been “shackled”. Mark Fullbrook, a partner with former Johnson adviser Lynton Crosby, has been targeted for mismanaging the transition between the contest moving from Tory MPs to members, The Times reported. A brief statement read: “Boris Johnson has appointed Iain Duncan Smith MP as the campaign chairman for the membership stage of his leadership campaign. “He will be working closely with James Wharton [a former Conservative MP] and Mark Fullbrook.” – Independent Jeremy Corbyn criticised over Brexit ‘fudge’ as Shadow Cabinet delays final decision… Labour’s most senior frontbenchers had been expected to formally endorse backing a second EU referendum in all circumstances when they met on Tuesday morning. But they instead agreed to return to the matter at a future meeting to give Mr Corbyn time to hold further talks with trade union leaders. The move came just 24 hours after John McDonnell said there would be “white smoke” on Labour’s position following the Shadow Cabinet meeting. PoliticsHome revealed on Monday that the majority of unions affiliated to Labour now back a second referendum and for the party to campaign for Remain if it takes place. However, bosses from Unite and the CWU both made it clear to the Labour leader that they did not. It is understood that there were angry scenes in the Shadow Cabinet meeting, with Mr Corbyn being warned that Labour must get off the fence or continue losing votes to the Lib Dems and Greens. Labour MP Neil Coyle, who backs another referendum, said: “Jeremy’s position is that any decision has to be taken in consultation with the unions, but that doesn’t mean talking to trade union members because we know they overwhelmingly back another referendum. It is all about whether we can get Len McCluskey to shift, but Jeremy knows the answer to that before he asks the question. The Labour leader is responsible for trying to get Labour policies in government. We have suffered defeats because of our Brexit fudge, and to be so out of sync with our members, their views and our party’s values is shocking and risks facilitating more Tory government. Members are desperate to see the Labour party move, but the leadership seems totally dependent on one trade union leader giving his permission to change party policy. That’s an unacceptable situation.” A source close to Mr Corbyn pointed to his comments ahead of a recent trip to Dublin to explain Labour’s Brexit position. – PoliticsHome …while John McDonnell compares Corbyn’s Brexit policy to a ‘slow-moving car crash’ John McDonnell furiously compared Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit policy to a “slow-moving car crash” as the party’s bitter civil war reignited. The Labour leader sparked uproar among his shadow cabinet by delaying a decision on whether to fully back a second referendum and campaign for Remain. Furious backbenchers accused the Labour leader of taking his orders from pro-Brexit union baron ‘Red Len’ McCluskey. While sparks flew at a shadow cabinet showdown yesterday – with shadow ministers queuing up to slam Mr Corbyn’s Brexit dithering. Emily Thornberry angrily stormed that “this is about leadership”, while Tom Watson and Keir Starmer warned Labour members are mutinying. While shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said Labour must have “the courage of our socialist convictions” and campaign to stay in the EU. The shadow cabinet had expected to fully back a second referendum in all circumstances at yesterday’s meeting. But instead, Mr Corbyn kicked the decision back another two weeks so he can hold more meetings. – The Sun Liam Fox to call for the UK to invest in business to seize ‘golden opportunity’ post-Brexit The UK has a “golden opportunity” to succeed following Brexit but only if it matches business investment by its global competitors, Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, is to say on Wednesday. Dr Fox, who is backing Jeremy Hunt in the race to succeed Theresa May as prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, is to call for more spending on promoting British business abroad. Britain will only succeed in grasping post-Brexit opportunity if the Government supports businesses in unlocking the global economy, Dr Fox is expected to tell the Telegraph Export and Future of Trade Forum. In his keynote speech at the event, Dr Fox, a Brexiteer, will say: “Ensuring Britain succeeds in this new era means having the right tools to ensure we can unlock the global economy, to in turn support the UK economy. And we can’t do this on a shoestring.” He will highlight the efforts of rival economies such as France – where President Emmanuel Macron has pushed a “choose France” initiative – and the Netherlands to push their business interests overseas. Both countries are seeking to convince businesses to relocate from the UK. – Telegraph (£) Gordon Brown claims the unity of the UK is at risk from a ‘hijacking of patriotism’ Gordon Brown has said the unity of the United Kingdom has never been at greater risk, faced by the “hijacking of patriotism” by Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage and, what the former prime minister said was a shift by the Scottish National party towards a more extreme nationalism. Warning against a no-deal Brexit, the former Labour prime minister said the Conservative party had turned what would be an act of economic self-harm into a test of patriotism. He also became the latest high-profile political figure to advocate the use of citizens’ assemblies to overcome the deadlock and confusion around Brexit, calling for the labour movement to take a lead on this if government and other parties failed to do so. Speaking at an event organised by the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate and the Fabian Society, Brown said: “The country is about to choose the next prime minister but missing so far from the Conservative leadership contest is a serious debate on the biggest existential question of all – the unity of the United Kingdom and the future of the union – and how to prevent an even more damaging descent into divisive nationalisms.” – Guardian Maintaining the Union is more important than any political cause, DUP tells Tories Arlene Foster has told a Tory meeting in London that the “protection and promotion of the Union” is more important than any other political cause. The DUP leader was speaking last night after former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned the UK risked “unravelling” due to Brexit and the “narrow nationalism” of the Conservative and SNP governments. Mr Brown said that Brexit and rising nationalism meant “we are in a battle for the very existence of Britain” and the Union was more at risk now than at any other time in the past 300 years. Responding to his warning, Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann said his party had long highlighted the dangers of pursuing an ideologically pure form of Brexit. But TUV leader Jim Allister said that the 1990s Labour government, of which Mr Brown was a key member, had done huge damage to the UK’s long-term future. Addressing the Conservative Association in Finchley, Mrs Foster said: “As leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, I have made clear that the protection and promotion of the Union of the United Kingdom is more important than any other political aspiration or cause which we may be focused on at a particular time. I would not put forward any cause which I believed would result in a weakening of the Union, but we must always be cautious of how we move forward.” Mrs Foster added: “We should resist the temptation to pit one region against another. We should resist the temptation to view the relationship between various parts of our United Kingdom as “give” or “take”. “I firmly believe the United Kingdom is economically better together than apart, but alongside the enrichment of our business life we must look at the cultural, sporting, intellectual and historical contributions which bind us together as a nation.” – Belfast Telegraph UK car industry steps up warnings over ‘hard’ Brexit A no-deal Brexit would deliver a “knockout blow” to the competitiveness of Britain’s automotive sector and could cost it more than £70m a day due to delays at the border, the industry’s trade body has warned. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on Tuesday said leaving the EU without a deal would lead to the end of borderless trade that could bring “crippling disruption” to the industry’s just-in-time operating model. New analysis by SMMT concluded that if all the 1,100 trucks that deliver some 42m components into the UK from the continent every day were held up for 24 hours, the resulting production stoppages could cost the industry about £50,000 a minute, or more than £70m a day in this worst-case scenario. Combined with tariffs that would apply under World Trade Organization rules, this would deliver “a knockout blow to the sector’s competitiveness, undermining a decade of extraordinary growth”, the study found. “No-deal remains the clear and present danger,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. “The next PM’s first job in office must be to secure a deal that maintains frictionless trade because, for our industry, ‘no deal’ is not an option,” he added, insisting that “this is not project fear”. The industry, Mr Hawes warned, faced “death by a thousand cuts,” where a gradual erosion of competitiveness would make it harder for companies to invest. – FT(£) Maddy Thimont-Jack: Blocking No Deal is easier said than done We are currently waiting to see whether Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt will be elected leader of the Conservative Party. The contest should ensure there is a new Prime Minister in place just ahead of summer recess (the House is due to rise on 25 July), but some Conservative MPs have already been threatening to bring down the Government if their new leader is willing to take the UK out of the EU without a deal. Is such a threat credible? The most obvious way for rebel Tories to do this would be to team up with the Opposition on a vote of no confidence in the Government. Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, if MPs pass a motion saying “That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Government” then a 14 day period is triggered in which either the incumbent or an alternative government must win the confidence of MPs. If the serving or prospective Prime Minister has not won a motion saying “That this House has confidence in Her Majesty’s Government” before the 14 days are up then a General Election will take place. There are two important elements to this. First, the Government is only obliged to make time for a vote of no confidence if it is tabled by the Official Opposition. Second, the sitting Prime Minister selects the day the General Election would be held. But if MPs did not want a General Election, there are other ways that they could express their opposition to a new Prime Minister’s Brexit policy. They could vote down any legislation brought before the House – in particular if the new PM tries to pass some of the primary legislation needed for no deal which has been languishing for some time. They could also vote down the ‘estimates’ – which allows the Government to spend money – which would make it extremely difficult for a new prime minister to govern.To give enough time both for the 14-day period under the FTPA to expire as well as the 25 working-day campaigning period, a vote would need to be held – at the latest – as soon as MPs came back from recess in early September. And so, as this timetabling headache makes clear, stating your willingness to bring down the Government to block No Deal is one thing. Actually doing so is another matter. – Maddy Thimont-Jack for CapX Matthew Patten: Don’t go to Brussels for a new deal, Boris. Your time is better spent at home preparing for a no-deal Brexit If our next Prime Minister is genuine about leaving the European Union by 31st October, the one thing he mustn’t do is go to Brussels. I know that sounds odd, how else is he going to get a deal? But as a new MEP, with just 4 days under my belt in the European Parliament, I can assure you that it’s true. Here’s why. The real enemy of Brexit is not the EU, it’s Parliament. Rory Stewart was right when he said that the EU is not going to reopen the Withdrawal Deal. And that’s a great relief. It’s not just the Irish Backstop that’s a problem, it’s a rubbish deal full of compromises whose only achievement is to unite Leavers and Remainers against it. So why bother going to Brussels in a vain attempt to fix the unfixable. There will be no-one for Boris or Jeremy to see. By the time Conservative Party members have cast their votes for our new Prime Minister, the EU will be getting ready for its August-long summer holiday. The only negotiation an EU bureaucrat will be thinking about is how to secure the best deckchair on the beach. In any case, no one knows who is going to be running the EU. Time is up for Mssrs Junker, Tusk, et al and their replacements do not take up their posts until November. Mrs May was one in a long line of British Prime Ministers to be given the cold shoulder by the Brussels elite. Boris, who has spent the last 30 years rubbing up the EU the wrong way, can expect much, much worse. No, our new PM needs to stay home in Downing Street and focus on delivering the only deal in town, one that’s already enacted and automatically exits us from the EU on 31st October. – Matthew Patten MEP for the Telegraph (£) Leo McKinstry: Brexiteers will not easily forgive Boris if he blows his shot at becoming Prime Minister The Remainer establishment has the scent of victory in its nostrils. For the last three years, its campaigners have cynically plotted to overturn the referendum result. Among the weapons in their undemocratic arsenal have been court actions, Project Fear propaganda, Parliamentary manoeuvres and collusion with Brussels. Exactly as they planned, the Brexit process has become hopelessly bogged down in a legalistic and bureaucratic quagmire, with the prospect of British independence beginning to fade. Now these anti-Brexiteers could be on the verge of their greatest triumph yet: the prevention of Boris Johnson’s advance to Number Ten. A Johnson premiership is perhaps the last hope for the implementation of Brexit. As a key architect of the successful referendum campaign, he is the one senior MP with a realistic chance of delivering British self-governance from the shackles of EU rule. That is why the progressive elite is so determined to bring him down – by any means necessary. Over recent days, the Stop Boris drive has been ferocious in its intent and its range.But the increasingly hostile environment means that Boris has to be at the peak of his performance. With so much at stake for himself and the nation, this is the hour to show courage, leadership, discipline and inspiration. After his well-managed stroll to the top of the MPs’ ballot, Boris might have expected an easy journey to the crown once he reached the final round of voting by Tory party members. But there can be no room for complacency now. Thoughts of a coronation have given way to the reality of a tough fight with Jeremy Hunt. It is still Boris’s contest to lose, but the chances of defeat have increased enormously in recent days. Boris is the contender with the record and the personality to deliver. That responsibility should encourage him to up his game by spreading his optimism and providing realistic answers. The alternative of failure is too grim to contemplate. If his campaign implodes and he misses out on the prize, he will not be easily forgiven by those who yearn for national freedom. – Leo McKinstry for the Telegraph (£) Liam Halligan: Boris’s sunny optimism can get Brexit over the line The media establishment is in full-scale attack mode. Boris Johnson faces a no-holds-barred onslaught – as blatantly pro-Remain broadcasters throw whatever mud they can to stop him reaching No 10. Some have genuine reservations about Johnson’s suitability for high office. But much of this relentless negativity is driven by envy, class warfare and, above all, Brexit. The bien pensants in both politics and the media know Johnson is determined to leave the European Union, if necessary with no deal, on October 31. And the Boris-bashers’ biggest fear is that his enthusiasm and belief that we can finally do so, after three years of foot-dragging, proves infectious – generating the final wave of public support that gets a meaningful Brexit over the line. Johnson’s rallying cry that Britain can thrive by staying close to Europe, but outside an increasingly over-bearing EU, is not only economically true, it also taps into a deep well of emotion – not only among the Leave-voting majority, but also the millions who backed Remain and know that it’s vital for the integrity of British democracy that this debilitating log-jam is broken. The Government must put our destiny into our own hands by preparing, practically and psychologically, to leave the EU without a deal. If not, we are powerless, requiring Brussels’ permission to implement the biggest act of democracy in our history. To avoid that fate, we need a prime minister who can show the public and Brussels that no deal, while not the best outcome, is entirely acceptable. Someone with some “positive energy”, as Johnson put it. – Liam Halligan for the Telegraph (£) The Sun: Derision heaped on Mrs May by Remainers and the EU was nothing compared to the all-out war on Boris The derision heaped on Theresa May by the EU and its Remainer cheerleaders was only an aperitif to the all-out war now being waged against Boris Johnson. Mrs May was at least one of them — a europhile reluctantly doing her duty. Boris was the face of Brexit. He believes in it. He intends, if made PM, to deliver it “do or die, come what may”. To Remain diehards that makes him a monster. Brussels, predictably, mocks him. It says his Brexit plan is ludicrous. Except the EU IS finally now taking the threat of No Deal seriously and ordering Ireland to detail its emergency plans. And what is Brussels’ own strategy? To insist we swallow Mrs May’s dodgy deal, overwhelmingly rejected three times? That’s the definition of madness. But eurocrat loathing of Boris is nothing compared with that of our political and media Remoaners. “Sir” Ed Davey, the dismal Lib-Dem ex-Cabinet minister, wants to politically “decapitate” him . . . a vile phrase in this volatile climate. No Deal is dangerous, Davey says — so here’s his alternative: have the Queen simply cancel Brexit. Yes, a monstrous constitutional and democratic outrage, triggering chaos, disorder and division. But Boris is the crazy one, remember. Brexit had already made fools of formerly moderate MPs and once-impartial media figures. Boris reduces them all to frothing, incoherent balls of rage. – The Sun says David Paton: No deal is not ideal but it is better than all the other available options It is time for politicians to face up to reality. For good or ill, the Withdrawal Agreement is dead in the water. The EU has repeatedly said it will not renegotiate and, even if it did make a move on the backstop, that will not be enough to get the agreement through Parliament. There are only two realistic outcomes, and this has been true since December last year. Either the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement (“no deal”) or we revoke Article 50 completely. Everything else – more negotiating, an election, another referendum – is just delaying the inevitable final choice. This is not where anyone wanted to be. Even the most hard-line Brexiteers argued for leaving with a free trade agreement between the EU and UK. But the combined incompetence of Theresa May’s Government, the opposition’s position and EU intransigence have rendered this virtually impossible, at least before we leave the EU. As a result, when politicians tell us that “no deal” should not be countenanced under any circumstances, this is code for saying that, sooner or later, Brexit should be cancelled. But the question of whether “no deal” will indeed be as disastrous for the economy as the CBI and the Treasury would have us believe still needs to be faced. Apart from anything else, leaving with “no deal” would bring an early end to uncertainty for business. The Brexit vote did not lead to the Doomsday scenarios forecast at the time by the Treasury. Indeed, unemployment has decreased to record lows, growth has been steady if not spectacular and foreign direct investment into the UK (perhaps the best indicator of long term confidence in the economy) has outperformed continental competitors. But there is no doubt that uncertainty over Brexit has led to some firms holding back investment in the short run. Further delays, whether due to another referendum, an election or even the nuclear option of revoking Article 50 completely, would mean even more instability and uncertainty for the economy. Leaving with no trade deal on the 31st October does not mean no deal for ever. Striking a sensible future long term trading relationship will continue to be in the interests of both the EU and the UK and will happen sooner or later. – David Paton for Reaction Brexit in Brief Will Corbyn ever turn Labour into Referendum-and-Remain party? – Robert Peston for ITV News Theresa May to stand down and hand over to new prime minister on 24 July – Independent