Boris Johnson insists he is ‘confident’ the EU will buckle and give into his Brexit demands ahead of crunch talks with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron

• Boris Johnson meets Angela Merkel on Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron Thursday
• PM said today he is ‘confident’ the EU will ditch its hardline Brexit stance 
• Mr Johnson also insists the UK will be ready for a No Deal Brexit on October 31
• But he concedes there will be ‘bumps in the road’ if there is a No Deal split 
• Comes after Operation Yellowhammer leak predicted food and fuel shortages 

Boris Johnson today insisted he is ‘confident’ the European Union will ultimately buckle on Brexit and agree to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s divorce from the bloc.

The Prime Minister said it was ‘fine’ that Brussels was currently opposed to changing the Withdrawal Agreement as he outlined his belief that the EU will drop its ‘reluctance’ to shift its stance when it comes to the crunch.

His comments are likely to spark controversy and disbelief in Berlin and Paris with Mr Johnson due to meet Angela Merkel on Wednesday and Emmanuel Macron on Thursday for talks.

The EU has long maintained that the current divorce deal cannot be changed and has repeatedly dismissed Mr Johnson’s demands for the Irish border backstop to be deleted from the deal.

Mr Johnson’s comments came as pressure continued to mount on the PM to recall Parliament to allow MPs to scrutinise his Brexit plans.

More than 100 MPs signed a letter demanding Mr Johnson cut short their summer holidays amid rising concern about the increasing likelihood of a No Deal Brexit on October 31.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, and Jeremy Corbyn both intervened this morning to publicly back the calls to recall parliament and formally throw Labour’s weight behind the proposal.

Boris Johnson, pictured during a visit to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro today, said he believes the EU will buckle and give into his demands on Brexit

Mr Johnson will travel to Berlin and Paris this week for talks when he is expected to spell out his commitment to taking Britain out of the EU with or without a deal on October 31

A Tory Brexit civil war exploded on Sunday night after a No Deal contingency planning document, codenamed Operation Yellowhammer, was leaked.

The document predicted that the UK could face food, fuel and medicine shortages in the event of a bad break from Brussels.

The government insisted the document was out of date and did not take into account fresh mitigating steps taken in Whitehall since Mr Johnson took office last month.

Number 10 sources blamed the leak on disgruntled Remain-backing former ministers seeking revenge as they seek to block a disorderly divorce.

Speaking during a visit to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro today, Mr Johnson said he believed the UK will be ready for a No Deal split on Halloween if a more palatable agreement cannot be struck with the EU.

But he said he believed the EU would budge and give into his demands as the Brexit deadline draws closer.

He said: ‘I am not going to suggest that there won’t be, as I said on the steps of Downing Street, bumps in the road but we will be ready to come out on October 31 deal or no deal.

‘Of course our friends and partners on the other side of the Channel are showing a little bit of reluctance at the moment to change their position.

‘That’s fine. I am confident that they will. But in the meantime we have to get ready for a No Deal outcome.

‘I want a deal. We are ready to work with our friends and partners to get a deal.

‘But if you want a good deal for the UK you must simultaneously get ready to come out without one.’

Mr Johnson is expected to use his trip to Berlin and Paris later this week to spell out to Ms Merkel and Mr Macron that he is serious about delivering on his ‘do or die’ Brexit pledge.

Allies of the premier are increasingly confident that his hardline negotiating stance is hitting home in Brussels.

Mr Johnson doubled down today on his commitment to take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal as he said: ‘We are very confident that by October 31 we will be ready. 

‘That is the crucial thing. That is what people want. People are very confident themselves that they can do it.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured today as he gave a speech in the East Midlands, said he supported a bid by MPs to force Mr Johnson to recall parliament

The move was also backed by John McDonnell, pictured during a TV interview this morning, as he said he wanted MPs to return to Westminster in the ‘next few days’ 

‘I am not pretending that there won’t be bumps on the road. There will be. I said that on the steps of Downing Street. 

‘But if everybody puts their minds to it I have absolutely no doubt that we can get ready.’

Asked if he expected talks with the German chancellor and French president to lead to a Brexit breakthrough, he said: ‘That is I am afraid very much up to our friends. I hope that they will compromise.’

Mr Johnson is under mounting pressure from MPs today to recall Parliament as fears continue to rise about the damage a No Deal Brexit could do to the UK economy.

The Prime Minister recommitted to his ‘do or die’ pledge as his allies sought to play down a confidential Whitehall dossier which detailed the potential problems posed by a No Deal scenario.

Remainers’ numbers swell as Tories line up to oppose No Deal 

A Remainer ‘rebel alliance’ of Tory backbenchers opposed to a No Deal Brexit has grown to as many as 40 MPs as Downing Street blamed the ring leaders for leaking a bombshell contingency planning document. 

The leak of Operation Yellowhammer which details the food, medicine and fuel shortages which could arise after a chaotic split from the EU on October 31 has sparked an all-out Tory civil war. 

Number 10 sources believe Mr Hammond, who quit the government before Mr Johnson could sack him over his anti-No Deal stance, or another former minister leaked the document out of revenge and in order to influence Brexit talks. 

The government has insisted the doomsday dossier is out of date but the wind is now in the sails of the anti-No Deal Tory group known in Westminster as the ‘Gauke-ward squad’. 

A letter sent by Mr Hammond to Boris Johnson last week was signed by 21 Tory Europhile MPs. 

But their numbers have now swelled to up to 40, according to The Telegraph, in a revelation likely to cause alarm in Number 10. 

Mr McDonnell this morning formally backed demands from MPs for Mr Johnson to cut short Parliament’s summer recess. 

Mr Corbyn, the Labour leader, then did the same as he told journalists at an event in the East Midlands: ‘We do support the recall of Parliament.’

The House of Commons is not due to return until September 3 but more than 100 MPs have signed a letter demanding Mr Johnson recall Parliament now so that they can scrutinise the government’s Brexit plans. 

Mr McDonnell said Labour wanted to see Parliament reconvened ‘in the next few days’ to drive efforts to avoid a No Deal Brexit as he backed the letter sent by MPs.

‘There is a need now to bring MPs back together again because we need time now to really have a proper debate and discussion about this matter,’ he told the BBC. 

No Deal planning supremo Michael Gove played down Operation Yellowhammer, suggesting the document was out of date, and Number 10 insiders sought to blame disgruntled ex-ministers for the leak.

According to the documents, petrol import tariffs would ‘inadvertently’ lead to the closure of two oil refineries, while protests across the UK could ‘require significant amounts of police resources’ in a no-deal scenario.

But a Number 10 source said: ‘It has been deliberately leaked by a former minister in an attempt to influence discussions with EU leaders.

‘Those obstructing preparation are no longer in Government, £2 billion of extra funding (has been) already made available, and Whitehall has been stood up to actually do the work through the daily ministerial meetings.

‘The entire posture of Government has changed.’ 

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