UK premiership hopeful vows he would be tough with EU
The main candidate to replace outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that he would take a tough line against the European Union if he takes control of a process to bring Britain out of the bloc.
Boris Johnson, widely seen as the next leader of the ruling Conservative Party in Britain, said Friday that his country should be fully prepared to leave the EU at the end of October, the ultimate deadline imposed by the bloc for London’s withdrawal, in a disorderly manner.
“We will leave the EU on October 31, deal or no deal ...The way to get a good deal is to prepare for a no deal,” said Johnson while speaking in an economic conference in Switzerland.
Johnson has been a main critic of May and her Brexit strategy. He even resigned from the cabinet in July last year when May announced her plan for negotiations with the EU.
Opinion polls show the former mayor of London has the highest chance of winning a Tory party leadership race and replace May after the premier announced her upcoming resignation on Thursday.
Johnson played major role in Brexit victory in the June 2016 referendum. He has repeatedly asserted that Britain would be much better off after leaving the EU, even without a deal.
Critics suspect that argument could be true as official estimates suggest that British economy will shrink by 10 percent if there is no deal with the EU to cushion the negative impacts of Brexit.
Johnson faces a number of other lawmakers in the Tory leadership battle, including foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, health secretary Matt Hancock and former work and pensions minister Esther McVey.
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