Boris Johnson appeared to lose his patience during an interview with TalkRadio’s Ross Kempsell as he announced that, with him as Prime Minister, he would not be asking for an extension to the Brexit date. He added that he had multiple plans to secure a Brexit deal with the EU and a contingency plan if that wasn’t possible by October 31. The Tory leadership favourite said: “We have been sitting around wrapped in defeatism telling the British public we can’t do this or that, it is pathetic.”

The TalkRadio interviewer then argued that it would take more than “positive energy” to fulfil Brexit and noted that Mr Johnson’s critics still want a clear and outlined Brexit plan.

Mr Johnson replied: “Don’t forget we haven’t even really wanted to come out.

“That is the heart of the problem.

“What we have been doing is creating our own prison, the backstop, the customs union and the single market are all basically designed to keep us in.

“Plan A, we get the deal we want one I have described.

“Plan B is to get a standstill agreement, a General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) agreement.

“If the EU won’t do that and we have to come out on WTO terms, then plan C would be to get ready for that outcome.

“The British people have had enough of being told that we are incapable of doing this, the preparations by March 29 were pretty advanced.

Mr Kempsell went on to question whether Mr Johnson would rule out an extension to Article 50 if all his current plans to get a Brexit deal go wrong.

Mr Johnson snapped: “What is this defeatism, this is unbelievable.

“Yes, I can rule it out and let me tell you why.

“Because it would be up to the Prime Minister of the day, I hope myself, to decide under the current terms of the extension that we have to apply for another.

“It is up to the EU to decide whether to grant it.

“At the moment the law, international treaty law, says the UK is leaving the EU on October 31.

Members of the Eurosceptic group the European Research Group (ERG) have shown strong support for Mr Johnson over Jeremy Hunt.

Leader and Deputy leader of the ERG, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Mark Francois, remain satisfied that Mr Johnson will maintain his promise to take the UK out of the EU with or without a deal following talks with the pair.

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