Britain’s newly appointed prime minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that the UK will leave the European Union on 31 October and this time there will be “no ifs or buts”.
Johnson, who was officially named Britain’s prime minister late on Wednesday, said that he will get “a new deal, a better deal” from the EU on Brexit.
In his first speech as the leader outside 10 Downing Street, Johnson warned that there would be a no-deal Brexit if Brussels refuses to negotiate.
“We are going to fulfil the repeated promises of parliament to the people and come out of the EU on October 31, no ifs or buts,” he said.
British Former PM and Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May spent years negotiating a withdrawal agreement with the EU but UK lawmakers rejected it three times, Efe news reported.
In response to the UK, the EU said it will not reopen negotiations on the withdrawal agreement.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, said that they will be ready if Johnson pursues a no-deal strategy but it would never be the bloc’s choice.
He told the BBC on Wednesday, “We look forward to hearing what the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants, what are the choices of the UK.
“Is it an orderly Brexit? This is the choice, the preference of the EU and we have worked for an orderly Brexit all along the last three years”, he further said.
“Is it a no-deal Brexit? A no-deal Brexit will never be, never, the choice of the EU. But we are prepared”, he added.
The European Parliament said in a statement that an “orderly exit” is in the “overwhelming interests of both parties”.
Several ministers resigned before Johnson took office, including finance minister Philip Hammond, who has condemned the “no-deal” threat as deeply irresponsible.
Meanwhile, Theresa May submitted her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace late on Wednesday.
European Union President Donald Tusk also congratulated Johnson on his appointment.
US President Donald Trump was one of the first to congratulate Johnson on his victory, saying he would be “great” and describing him as “Britain Trump”.
Trump suggested Johnson would work together well with anti-EU figurehead Nigel Farage, whose Brexit Party has taken a big chunk of eurosceptic votes from the Conservatives.
Boris Johnson won the prime ministerial race with a convincing margin with 66 per cent of the total vote share, defeating Jeremy Hunt in the race to replace Theresa May as the Conservative leader on Tuesday.