The former Tory MP took a swipe at Theresa May and insisted both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have “more charisma and charm” than the current Prime Minister has had throughout her time negotiating with the European Union. Speaking on BBC This Week, Mr Portillo said: “What might happen is the European Union is clearer than it has ever been that it wants us out and that it wants a deal. That’s the first thing.

Immeasurably more charisma and charm and negotiating ability than Mrs May

Michael Portillo

“And the second thing is that either one of them has immeasurably more charisma and charm and negotiating ability than Mrs May.”

BBC host Andrew Neil responded and branded Boris Johnson “high risk” while he said Jeremy Hunt is “low risk”.

Mr Portillo insisted neither of the two Tory leadership hopefuls is likely to ever enforce a no deal Brexit.

He added: “The 31 October is absurd because there is no Commission in place to negotiate with.

“Neither one of them is simply going to say ‘well, you know, we couldn’t negotiate because there was no one there and the clock came round and it was 31 October so we just left’.

“So, that is clearly not going to happen. And neither one of them wants no deal. And I don’t think either one of them will be able to do a credible threat of no deal.”

Brexiteer Boris Johnson has repeated his promise to take Britain out of the EU on Halloween and insisted there will be no more Brexit delays.

The Tory leadership favourite vowed “we are not going to bottle it” on October 31, after the original March date and the second April extension were pushed back.

Mr Johnson said in his Daily Telegraph column it was “disgraceful” that it has been three years since the referendum result with no Brexit.

But Mr Johnson was branded a coward by opponent Jeremy Hunt on Monday during a series of live TV interviews.

Mr Hunt also said Boris Johnson has formed a “very fragile” coalition of supporters.

The Foreign Secretary said: “He is going to come to power on a very fragile coalition of people like Matt Hancock who wants no-deal taken off the table, Mark Francois who wants no-deal.

“Sometimes in politics, you can fudge and get away with it but in the case of Brexit you are going to have to make decisions immediately, and that very fragile coalition will collapse immediately when you have to make those decisions.

“If that happens we won’t have another leadership contest, we will have Jeremy Corbyn in No 10 and there won’t be any Brexit at all.”

A Prime Minister will be elected the day after the ballot closes, it has been revealed.

Ballots close on July 22, so a new PM will be elected by Tuesday, July 23, a source told The Sun.

They will then see the Queen the next day and will take over the hot seat after Mrs May’s final PMQs that day.

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