Brexit news latest: Boris Johnson at mercy of EU as he continues to insist ‘there shouldn’t be an extension’

Boris Johnson is continuing to tell EU leaders Brexit should happen on October 31.

In afternoon phone conversations with European Council president Donald Tusk and German chancellor Angela Merkel, the Prime Minister had the same message: “There should be no extension.”

But Mr Johnson remains at the mercy of his European counterparts.

Despite his “do or die” promise to leave next Thursday, European leaders are likely to grant the UK yet another extension in order to pass Mr Johnson’s Brexit agreement.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar proposed a new January 31 deadline during a phone call with Mr Tusk, who said himself that he will recommend an extension. European Parliament chief David Sassolii also backed the date.

It comes after the huge blow Mr Johnson suffered in the Commons last night, in which his three-day “fast-track” timetable for debating the Withdrawal Agreement Bill was defeated. Mr Johnson responded by “pausing” the bill.

A Downing Street “source” said the government would “go for an election” as “this broken Parliament will always vote for delay rather than a deal”.

And opposition parties signalled they will back a poll this autumn if the EU grants a delay.

Meanwhile, secret talks between the government and Labour on a new timetable to get Mr Johnson’s deal through the Commons appeared to have stalled.

Mr Johnson met Jeremy Corbyn in his Commons office on Wednesday to discuss a new plan, but a Tory source quoted by PA said the Labour leader made clear he has “no policy except more delays and to spend 2020 having referendums”.

A Labour spokeswoman said Mr Corbyn reiterated Labour’s offer to “agree a reasonable timetable to debate, scrutinise and amend the Withdrawal Agreement Bill” and “restated that Labour will support a general election when the threat of a no-deal crashout is off the table”.