Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Tuesday that the United Kingdom would face a catastrophic loss of confidence in politics if the country does not leave the European Union, APA reports citing Reuters.
"We must come out on the 31 October because, otherwise I am afraid we face a catastrophic loss in politics [...] Unless we do it, unless we get out on 31 October I think we will all start to pay a really serious price", Johnson said in a televised debate with the other four remaining candidates seeking to be Britain's next leader, according to Reuters.
Boris Johnson, a prominent Brexiteer, announced last week the start of his campaign to replace Theresa May as Conservative Party leader. Johnson won the first and second rounds of the vote held among Conservative lawmakers, with his successor Jeremy Hunt coming as a second.
Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has been eliminated from the UK ruling Conservative party leadership contest in the second round of voting. Michael Gove, Rory Stewart, and Sajid Javid continue their political fight for the Conservative Party leadership.
In a televised debate on Tuesday, Michael Gove argued that a no-deal Brexit would create economic turbulence, according to Reuters. Similarly, Sajid Javid echoed Gove's statement, stressing that the UK didn't prepare well enough for a no-deal divorce with the EU.
Stewart also opposed a no-deal scenario, adding that there would never be a no-deal Brexit.
In turn, Jeremy Hunt said that the Irish backstop would never get through the UK parliament.
Johnson stressed, however, that the issue of the Irish border could be solved during the implementation period with the EU.
"You can solve the questions of how do you keep goods flowing freely across that border whilst the UK comes out of the EU as a whole. You can solve that issue during the implementation period whilst we negotiate the free-trade deal [...] That is the way forward", Johnson said Tuesday in a televised debate, cited by Reuters.
Theresa May stepped down earlier in June but has stayed on as caretaker prime minister until a leadership contest is held to elect her successor. She has been criticized for failing to deliver on the promise to take the country out of the European Union, which millions voted for in 2016. The deadline for the exit is 31 October.
The political landscape of the United Kingdom is gradually transforming as the country still cannot reach an agreement on its exit from the union. Back in 2016, the nation held a landmark referendum that was meant to decide its future - to stay in the 28-nation European Union or not. The majority voted for the exit.
However, three years later, Prime Minister Theresa May, who assumed her post after the Brexit vote, failed to achieve a consensus in parliament and within her own party over the country's withdrawal from the European Union.
In the meantime, May's potential successor, Boris Johnson, who served as London mayor and foreign secretary, has repeatedly insisted that the United Kingdom will be out of the bloc on 31 October, the new Brexit deadline, regardless of whether London approves a withdrawal agreement or not.
The Irish border issue has been a stumbling block in the EU-UK Brexit talks. In November, Brussels and London agreed on the Brexit deal, including the so-called backstop that would be put into practice if the sides failed to agree on all the terms of their relationship by the end of the Brexit transition period. The backstop would keep Northern Ireland in the EU Customs Union if London and Brussels failed to reach the deal.
According to media reports, Tory lawmakers will vote again Wednesday and, if needed, on Thursday. The final two contenders will go to a by-mail ballot of all 160,000 Conservative Party members nationwide.