Boris Johnson today denied his Brexit plan is a fantasy as he toughened up his vow to finalise the UK's divorce from Brussels by Halloween.
At the first Tory hustings this afternoon, the front runner rejected claims he has been softening his position that Britain must leave the bloc by the end of October, deal or no deal.
Mr Johnson also doubled down on his claim that the UK would be able to waive tariffs on EU goods even if there is No Deal. Bank of England governor Mark Carney dismissed the idea yesterday, as has Trade Secretary Liam Fox.
But senior Tories mocked him during the speech by posting images of unicorns on Twitter. And one Tory member at the event turned the air blue by condemning his 'f*** business' jibe about companies raising concerns about hard Brexit.
Mr Johnson said the swipe had been 'one stray remark to the Belgian ambassador' during a private reception.
He said his record was 'pretty extraordinary' when it came to supporting business, even defending bankers after the 2008 financial crunch.
He also refused to rule out cancelling the HS2 rail project, or taking direct action to stop the expansion of Heathrow Airport. Asked about his previous pledge to 'lie down in front of the bulldozers', Mr johnson said: 'We'll have to see when the bulldozers appear,' he said.
At the first Tory hustings this afternoon, the front runner rejected claims he has been softening his position that Britain must leave the bloc by the end of October, deal or no deal
Speaking at a hustings in Birmingham today, Boris Johnson did not mention the issue in his opening comments, insisting: 'We need to get Brexit done... and I am the right man.'
Boris Johnson gave a thumbs up during a visit to Nash's Bakery in Bicester, Oxfordshire, after police were called to the home of his girlfriend Carrie Symonds in Camberwell, south London on Friday night
Johnson visited the bakery today on the the first weekend of phase two of the Conservative Party leadership campaign
The comments came during a husting at which Mr johnson flatly refused to answer questions about an explosive row with his girlfriend as he ran the gaunlet at the first Tory hustings.
The front runner tried to shrug off the storm caused when it emerged police were called to the south London flat he shares with his 31-year Carrie Symonds in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Speaking at a hustings in Birmingham, Mr Johnson did not mention the issue in his opening comments, insisting: 'We need to get Brexit done... and I am the right man.'
And when challenged by broadcaster Iain Dale on stage, he replied: 'I don't think people want to hear about that kind of thing.'
The couple were allegedly recorded by neighbours having a 'plate-smashing, screaming row' during which Miss Symonds demanded he leave. Police were called, but no formal action was taken.
In the wake of the controversy Miss Symonds 'liked' a tweet stating 'we must have have entertainment at number 10' - seemingly making light of the extraordinary incident.
It followed reports she had screamed 'get off me' and 'get out of my flat' during a terrifying bust-up with Mr Johnson in the early hours of Friday morning at her flat in Camberwell, south London.
Tories believe the development could be a 'big opportunity' for the other leadership contender Jeremy Hunt to start overhauling Mr Johnson's huge advantage.
Mr Johnson's turbulent personal life is seen as his Achilles' Heel, as he prepares to divorce his second wife and dodges questions about how many children he has.
Mr Hunt delivered a stinging rebuke today by asking whether Mr Johnson could be trusted to deliver an orderly Brexit.
Speaking at a Conservative Party Conference in London this morning, he said: 'If we send the wrong person out as our PM there will be no trust, no negotiation, no deal and if Parliament forces a general election no Brexit.'
Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt are at the first of 16 national hustings in Birmingham this afternoon.
Mr Johnson, 55, and Mr Hunt, 52, are each making a short pitch to the audience, followed by questions from Dale and Tory members.
In his opening pitch, Mr Johnson said: 'I am utterly convinced, utterly convinced, that with the right energy, and the right commitment, common sense will prevail, but just in case it does not, we must prepare to come out anyway.
'And we must be able to come out on WTO terms, so that for the first time in these negotiations we carry conviction.
'And it is precisely because we will be preparing between now and October 31 for a no deal Brexit that we will get the deal we need.'
But the leadership favourite insisted today that the move 'is allowed' under the rules.
In a sign of the deepening split at the heart of the Tories, Justice Secretary David Gauke tweeted pictures of unicorns as the Brexit remarks were delivered.
News of the row at Ms Symonds' flat emerged last night, after a neighbour handed a recording of the altercation to the Guardian newspaper. In the recording Mr Johnson can be heard shouting 'get off my f***ing laptop' before a loud crashing noise is heard.
Mr Johnson attended the the Uxbridge & South Ruislip Conservative Association summer drinks this evening, an hour after reports of the row with Miss Symonds emerged
Miss Symonds is said to have been heard screaming at Mr Johnson to get out of the flat in a Victorian House in Camberwell, south London that she bought last year and lives in with her lover (pictured)
The Tory leadership hopeful and possible future prime minister shares the home with his partner Carrie Symonds (Pictured at his leadership launch earlier this month)
Carrie Symonds liked this tweet posted by feature writer Victor Olliver soon after the row with Mr Johnson emerged publicly
Next-door neighbour, 32-year-old nursery worker Fatimah, was among those who heard the loud dispute. She said: 'There was a lot of shouting, a lady was screaming and I could hear glasses or plates being thrown quite a few times.
'The man was shouting back. I could hear it through my walls. I was watching TV and muted it because I was so worried. It lasted for about ten minutes. I have never heard anything like that before.
'You could hear glass being smashed and other things. It was obvious the lady was angry, she was screaming hysterically. My walls were shaking from all the noise and things that were being thrown around.'
And Earl McDermott, who lives nearby, told MailOnline: 'It was a proper tear up. Glasses being smashed, screaming and a lot of arguing. I was walking past Johnson's house and you could hear it coming from the top floor. I thought someone was being murdered.'
In the recording of their argument, Miss Symonds, who Mr Johnson is said to be hoping to marry after he left his second wife, was heard complaining that he had spilled red wine on her sofa. She then said: 'You just don't care for anything because you're spoilt. You have no care for money or anything.'
Last night, MPs said Mr Johnson may seek an injunction to suppress any attempt to release the recording.
One of Mr Johnson's allies, security minister Ben Wallace, tweeted a message in support when the spat emerged, before quickly deleting it
The couple pictured together in London on January 18, for the first time after Mr Johnson's second marriage ended following rumours of a relationship with Miss Symonds
The neighbour who took the recording, told the Guardian: 'There was a smashing sound of what sounded like plates. There was a couple of very loud screams that I'm certain were Carrie and she was shouting to ''get out'' a lot.
'She was saying, ''get out of my flat'' and he was saying no. And then there was silence after the screaming. My partner, who was in bed half asleep, had heard a loud bang and the house shook.
'I [was] hoping that someone would answer the door and say ''We're okay''. I knocked three times and no one came to the door.' That neighbour called the police.
Scotland Yard initially told the Guardian that they had no record of the incident but after being given the case number, reference number and identification markings of the cars called out, confirmed they were called to Miss Symonds' flat at 24 minutes past midnight and spoke to all the occupants of the address, 'who were safe and well'.
The row between Miss Symonds and Mr Johnson comes after the ex-foreign secretary won the latest round of voting for a place in Downing Street with 160 votes, more than half of all Conservative MPs.
Mr Johnson showed no signs of the late-night row as he was spotted smiling at a Conservative summer party just an hour after the news broke.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson declined to comment on the incident.
Boris Johnson leaving his house this morning. Police were called to Mr Johnson's house in the early hours after neighbours heard screaming, shouting and banging
Mr Johnson speaking at the Uxbridge and South Ruislip Conservative Association drinks. The row came just hours after he had cemented his position as the runaway favourite to succeed Theresa May as prime minister
Security Minister Ben Wallace, a close ally of Mr Johnson, came out in his defence before deleting the tweet, which read: 'What a non story, ''couple have a row''. Lefty neighbours give recording to Guardian. Newspaper reaches new low is a better news story.'
Reports suggest that Mr Johnson hadn't made his campaign team aware of the police's visit last night.
This morning - in the wake of the row - Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve said character is relevant in the Conservative leadership race adding that it matters in both public and private life.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think the issue of any candidate's character, standing for the leadership of a party, and aiming to be a Prime Minister is going to be relevant.
'And has to be relevant because they are going to be in a position of responsibility where they have to make very important decisions.'
Boris Johnson and his aides will be hoping the dramatic spat with Carrie Symonds can be dismissed as a personal tiff.
But it plays into concerns among MPs that Mr Johnson's volatile personal life could be a liability.
Mr Johnson announced he was splitting from second wife Marina Wheeler just before his relationship with Ms Symonds – former media chief at the Conservative Party – became public.
If he succeeds Theresa May, Mr Johnson is likely to earn the dubious record of being the first PM in modern times to divorce while in Downing Street.
During the campaign Mr Johnson has faced pressure to state how many children he has.
Both the BBC's Emma Barnett and ITV's Piers Morgan have grilled his supporters on why Mr Johnson was seemingly unwilling to face questions about his public and private life - including about the number of offspring.
Mr Johnson has four children with his wife Marina Wheeler who he separated from last year with the pair now in the process of getting divorced.
In 2013 it emerged that Mr Johnson had fathered a child in an extramarital affair with Helen Macintyre, a professional art consultant, and the Court of Appeal ruled that the public did have the right to know about it after a privacy battle to keep the birth a secret.
The daughter was alleged during court proceedings to be the second child fathered by Mr Johnson as a result of an affair, according to The Guardian.
Mr Johnson previously hit the headlines in the 2000s over an affair with socialite Petronella Wyatt. She allegedly had an abortion as a result of the relationship.
Mr Hunt has been stressing his own apparently idyllic family life during his campaign up to now, as well as suggesting Mr Johnson cannot be 'trusted' by the EU.
He added: 'I think one has got to be a bit careful about what aspects of character really matter.
'But, clearly, things like reliability and honesty are very important things. And, I think they matter in one's private and personal life, and also they matter in one's public life.'
Residents have been speaking out following the altercation at around 12.24am on Friday morning.
Nursery worker Fatimah, who described 'glass being smashed' in the property, said: 'I have a four year old son and I was worried the noise would wake him up.
'He had a much calmer voice and he was just telling her to calm down, but she was still chucking things about.'
She added: 'I didn't call the police because the police arrived like a few minutes after. I saw a police van and a police car turn up. I knew they would probably deal with the situation.
'It went on for just over ten minutes. His voice was quite quiet but her voice was more loud. I couldn't make out what she was saying because she was just very, very angry.'
She said she was unsure who called police.
Her husband, Imran, 33, said his wife had been frightened by the commotion.
Speaking outside the home this morning, he said: 'I wasn’t at home, but my missus heard stuff.
'She said she heard lots of shouting and screaming and some things being smashed or broken.'
Asked how he felt about the incident, he said: 'It’s no big deal for me - we’re all human'.
Posters have been stuck up on fences near Ms Symonds’ flat stating: 'we’d rather endure him as our neighbour than our Prime Minister.'
Kirstie Lamont, who said the posters will be put up during a dog show in the area tomorrow (SUN), said: 'He’s our neighbour - we are so Green or Labour here. This is not our politics at all.
'We’d rather endure him as our neighbour than our Prime Minister.'
On the police incident, she said: 'I haven’t looked into it too much, but the ‘get off me’ sounds really bad.'
Ms Lamont denied the posters were 'un-neighbourly' and fumbled when it was put to her that Carrie might not feel welcome in the area anymore.
Raymond Campbell, aged 48 who lives four doors down told MailOnline: 'I saw the police arrive just after midnight. I had just got in
'Everybody knows Boris Johnson lives here. We see him cycling around. The police went into his house and then a short while later a police van also arrived. They were in there for about 10 to 15 minutes.
'I didn't know what had happened but I asked some neighbours in the morning. They said there'd been a domestic between Johnson and his partner.'
One neighbour told the Telegraph: 'I heard the row, it was pretty loud. I was quite worried to be honest, it was bad.
'I heard a lot of smashing - it sounded like plates or glasses - and I could hear her shouting. It was definitely her, I didn't hear him. There was a lot of shouting and swearing. It didn't last that long, maybe five minutes. It was unusual because it's very quiet around here. We don't usually here things like this.'
Two police cars and a van arrived within minutes, shortly after midnight, but left after receiving reassurances from both the individuals in the flat that they were 'safe and well'.
Johnson's campaign team said they had 'no comment' to make concerning allegations that police were called to the home Mr Johnson, left, shares with Miss Symonds, right
Neighbours told the Times they had not even realised that Mr Johnson had been living in the apartment until earlier this week.
One said: 'Boris has been visiting for six to nine months. I think he lives there now because of the frequency we see him. He leaves the house about 8am and he gets picked up by his minders.'
Mr Johnson was caught out as the words used by Ms Symonds - 'get off me' and 'get out of my flat' - were picked up on a neighbour's phone.
Carrie Symonds, a glamourous PR executive who friends describe as brilliant and ambitious, is credited with transforming Mr Johnson's public image.
Under her direction, his famous blond mane has been cropped, he has lost weight and his trademark dishevelled appearance has been replaced by a sharp-suited image.
Carrie comes from a successful background as her father Matthew Symonds was co-founder of The Independent newspaper and her mother Josephine Mcaffee a successful media lawyer.
The couple currently divide their time between her London flat and home in Oxfordshire, but friends expect Carrie to move into No 10 should Boris win the leadership race.
‘Despite the age gap it is a proper love match,’ said one. ‘When they met it was very much a meeting of minds. Carrie is incredibly quick and funny.
'He found her brilliant. She is passionately pro-animal welfare and pro-environment, and Boris really loves that about her.’
Sources say Carrie’s ability to effortlessly combine the intense focus required to win a fiercely fought leadership campaign with a playful sense of fun has rubbed off on Boris, bringing a competency that his political operation once lacked.
Earlier this month she attended his leadership launch, prompting speculation she hopes to move into Number 10 if he succeeds in his bid for power.
He is also said to be hoping to marry Miss Symonds once his divorce to Marina Wheeler, with whom he has four children, has been finalised. The break-up is said to have severely strained relations between Mr Johnson and his children.
Miss Symond's flat occupies the first floor of a converted semi-detached Georgian villa.
It is not clear whether the neighbour who recorded the row lives in the same building, either above or below, or on the first floor of the adjoining house.
A senior MP told Mail Online: 'Boris is clearly the favourite in this leadership race but four weeks is a very long time in politics.
'He's got 16 hustings,