Mr Jenrick, who came into the role last week shortly after Boris Johnson received his mandate, said the new Prime Minister had injected the Government with a “real commitment” to deliver Brexit. But BBC audience members appeared not to share in the sentiment as groans could be heard erupting among the public as the Housing Secretary made his attempt to defend the Prime Minister’s plans to leave the European Union. As Mr Jenrick discussed the “new energy” Mr Johnson had brought in, several members of the audience could be heard voicing their disagreement with loud groans. 

Speaking to BBC Any Questions? Mr Jenrick said: “I think you can see in the last week since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister a renewed energy and vigour, a real commitment to getting Brexit done, a real commitment to preparing the country for a no deal so we can leave in any circumstance if the EU won’t negotiate with us.

“And also, talking about all the other issues that the public care about – investing in more police officers on our streets, trying to improve education, leveling up the Midlands and the North with better quality infrastructure.”

The Tory frontbencher added: “Boris is moving the domestic agenda on and trying to deliver to the people and show that, once we’ve left the EU on October 31, there is actually a bright future for the country to come.”

The Prime Minister indeed used his first day on the job in the role to recommit the Government to address the growing wave of crime plaguing the country with the addition of an extra 20,000 police officers to the force. He also pledged to pay focus on fostering the growth of Northern regions and to strengthen ties with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. 

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Boris Johnson also reiterated he will not agree to any Brexit withdrawal agreement

To signal his dedication to his pledge, Mr Johnson used his first week as Prime Minister to tour the devolved nations and discuss with local governments their demands to Westminster.

Throughout his tour of the UK, the new leader of the Conservative Party also reiterated he will not agree to any Brexit withdrawal agreement unless the European Union agrees to remove the controversial Irish backstop.

The policy was originally included in the divorce deal to ensure no hard border would be reinstated on the isle of Ireland is negotiations fell through but Brexiteers have expressed concerns the backstop could be used to keep Britain closely aligned to the single market and customs union. 

During his visit to Scotland earlier this week, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister confirmed Mr Johsnon will not attend meetings with Brussels until they relent on the backstop.

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The spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister has been setting out to European leaders the position that the withdrawal agreement with the backstop has not been able to pass Parliament on the three occasions it was put in front of Parliament. Therefore it needs to change.

“The Prime Minister would be happy to sit down when that position changes. But he is making it clear to everybody he speaks to that that needs to happen.”

Mr Johnson has repeatedly stated he is not aiming to end negotiations with the European Union in a no deal scenario and said the resolution to the ongoing logjam was “very much up to our friends and partners across the Channel.”

The Prime Minister said: “They know that three times the House of Commons has thrown out that backstop, there’s no way that we can get it through, we have to have that backstop out of the deal, we cannot go on with the Withdrawal Agreement as it currently is.

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“If they understand that then I think we are going to be at the races. If they can’t compromise, if they really can’t do it, then clearly we have to get ready for a no-deal exit.”

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier responded to Mr Johnson’s first speech as leader of the country branding his stance as “combative” and urging the EU27 to prepare for a no deal due to the “unacceptable” demands from the Prime Minister. 

Addressing ambassadors from the 27 member states in a letter sent last week, Mr Barnier said: “PM Johnson has stated that if an agreement is to be reached it goes by way of eliminating the backstop.

“This is, of course, unacceptable and not within the mandate of the European Council.”

The French negotiator also said he would “analyse any UK idea on the withdrawal issues that are compatible with the existing withdrawal agreement.”

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