Johnson warns: No more Brexit delays

LONDON, United States (AFP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned French President Emmanuel Macron he will not delay Brexit beyond 31 October, underlining that his latest proposals are a last chance to reach a deal, a Downing Street spokesman said on Sunday.

Johnson told Macron in a telephone call on Sunday that “the EU should not be lured into the mistaken belief that the UK will stay in the EU after 31 October,” the spokesman quoted him as saying.

The UK premier said he would not request another delay, despite British MP passing a law last month that requires him to seek another Brexit delay if he fails to secure an agreement by the end of a make-or-break EU summit on 17 to 18 October.

This law was “undermining negotiations, but if EU leaders are betting that it will prevent no deal, that would be a historic misunderstanding,” a senior Downing Street source added.

“The UK has made a big, important offer but it’s time for the (European) Commission to show a willingness to compromise too. If not, the UK will leave with no deal,” the source added.