The insight was conjured by Brexiteer historian Niall Ferguson on BBC Politics Live on Tuesday afternoon. Exasperated by what he saw as the false promises of a no deal scenario, Mr Ferguson told host Jo Coburn: “On the present trajectory, the Conservatives are going to lose heavily at the next election unless the Brexit Party is disbanded and Nigel Farage endorses Boris Johnson, which seems to me highly unlikely to happen. We’re in the midst of a major realignment in British politics.

“Ironically, British politics is becoming more like continental politics, with lots of parties and only coalitions possible.

“Even now as we keep telling ourselves we’re leaving.

“But that’s the reality.

“So I think any position that Boris takes now will have to be jettisoned with a view to the next election.

“And I think he will lose the next election because I think the Conservatives are in an almost extinction-type scenario, given the speed with which the Brexit Party has risen up.”

In an interview with radio host Nick Ferrari, Mr Johnson said “politics has totally changed” since 29 March and “we are staring down the barrel of defeat” which would focus minds in Parliament.

He told LBC: “People are looking at this thing and thinking ‘Parliament is just not going to do this’. But, actually, I think they are.”

He said it is “vital as a country that we get ready to come out without an agreement if we must” but argued that it would be “bizarre” for the EU to impose tariffs on trade in the event if the two sides were looking at a future deal.

Mr Johnson called for “creative ambiguity” over the £39 billion cost of the UK’s Brexit divorce deal, suggesting this could break the deadlock.

The former Vote Leave leader, who hopes to become prime minister, also called for a “commonsensical” no-deal Brexit to be left on the table to allow the “incubus” to be “pitchforked off the back of British politics”.

Mr Johnson’s campaign was stepping up a gear with a series of media appearances and events following claims he was a “coward” from leadership rival Jeremy Hunt for shying away from debates.

Mr Johnson had kept out of the public eye since the news broke on Friday about the row at the south London home he shares with Ms Symonds.

Police called by worried neighbours after his partner was heard screaming and shouting “get off me”.

On the BBC, Mr Johnson said: “I do not talk about stuff involving my family, my loved ones.

“And there’s a very good reason for that. That is that, if you do, you drag them into things that in a way that is not fair on them.”

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