By David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent and Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline
Published: 11:31 BST, 25 June 2019 | Updated: 13:14 BST, 25 June 2019
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Mr Johnson told told LBC: 'It is vital, as a country, that we get ready to come out without an agreement if we must'
Boris Johnson warned that the country must 'get ready to come out without an agreement if we must' as he outlined his Brexit plans today - and categorically ruled out staying in the EU past October 31.
Mr Johnson said Halloween was a 'do or die' date for the UK quitting the block and fired a broadside at rebellious Tory MPs, warning the party would 'continue to haemorrhage voters' if Brexit was not sorted fast.
It came after he was accused of flip-flopping over the date, telling a leadership husting at the weekend Halloween was 'eminently feasible' but not saying anything more concrete.
The Tory leadership front runner was grilled by radio stations LBC and TalkRadio on his plan for leaving the EU as Jeremy Corbyn's Labour and some of his own Remainer colleagues seek to block his route to a No Deal Brexit.
He told TalkRadio: 'We will of course be putting our plan into action so we are ready to come out on October 31. Come what may. Do or die.'
Asked if he could 'categorically rule out an extension' past October 31, he said: 'Yes.'
It came after he was accused of flip-flopping over the date, telling a leadership husting at the weekend Halloween was 'eminently feasible' but not saying anything more concrete.
Mr Johnson also reiterated his plans for Brexit, with his preferred choice being to 'get rid of this current Withdrawal Agreement and get the best bits in it, put them through Parliament'.
He also reiterated his desire to withhold the £39billion Brexit 'divorce bill' from Brussels until the UK gets a deal it wants and to sort out the Irish border.
Boris Johnson set out his preferred options for handling Brexit before October 31 today.
Across several interviews he set out his first choice - a deal with the EU with all the worst bits removed or changed. He then outlined what would happen if that was not possible.
Plan A: The non-controversial parts of Theresa May's deal, with the Irish border backstop removed and a threat to Brussels to withhold the £39billion Brexit 'divorce bill' unless the UK gets a deal it wants. But the EU has long refused to renegotiate the WA, with is why it never got through Parliament the first time. Plan B: A 'standstill' agreement under article 24 of the international General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT). He argues that this allows the UK and EU to trade tariff free - as they do now - until they agree a proper free trade agreement. But economists including Bank of England boss Mark Carney and International Trade
