Stubborn Boris Johnson won't even listen to his girlfriend when it comes to Brexit

Boris Johnson has refused to listen to his own girlfriend and instead stuck by his tough Brexit rhetoric.

The Prime Minister’s partner, Carrie Symonds, is said to fear he went too far by evoking the memory of Jo Cox to demand that MPs finally deliver Brexit.

The Mirror understands she was also troubled that he appeared to suggest that women MPs deserved what they got for opposing his hardline strategy.

Mr Johnson insisted on Sunday that he had been a “model of restraint”.

He claimed that avoiding using the word “surrender” to describe the Benn Act, which prevents a no-deal Brexit, would “impoverish” the language.

And he suggested the country was on the brink of a nervous breakdown.

He told the BBC: “The best thing for the country’s psychological health is to get Brexit done.”

Ms Symonds is understood to have pleaded with Mr Johnson to tone down his language.

One senior Tory source said: “He’s not listening to anyone. Not even to Carrie.”

A second insider said: “She’s really worried and wants him to row back a bit. She sees how divisive it is. He doesn’t want to hear it.”

However, sources close to Ms Symonds said the claim she was uncomfortable with Mr Johnson’s rhetoric towards MPs was nonsense.

Close allies of Mr Johnson suggested he had “zoned” out over the abuse that women MPs had faced.

One Cabinet minister said: “I think he’s had so much abuse over the years, people calling him a racist and a liar and so on, that he thinks it’s payback time”.

The PM claimed his dismissal of claims by Labour ’s Paula Sherriff that people were quoting his words in death threats was a misunderstanding.

He said: “I can certainly say sorry for the misunderstanding, but my intention was to refuse to be crowded out from using the word ‘surrender’ to describe the surrender act.”

The description is misleading as the Benn Act gives Parliament the power to approve any EU proposal to delay Brexit.

Labour’s Angela Rayner accused the PM of deliberately sowing division.

“To suggest we are surrendering and not wanting to do the best by our country is really damaging, especially as a direct strategy from No 10. He should be utterly ashamed,” she said.

Rebel ex-Tory MP Dominic Grieve said he received a death threat after reports No 10 was probing EU “collaborators” who drew up the Benn bill.

As Mr Johnson faced his first party conference as Tory leader, opposition parties were today plotting how – and when – to bring down the Government.

No 10 confirmed it would allow Commons time for a vote of no confidence in the Government if tabled by the SNP this week.

Downing Street has even suggested Tory MPs could be whipped to vote against Mr Johnson in order to get a general election .

But SNP sources played down expectations the move was imminent.

As hundreds of protesters marched in Manchester, Mr Johnson refused to deny he could use civil contingency powers to suspend the Benn Act.

One Cabinet minister told the Mirror there could be “riots and even murders” if Brexit did not take place on time.

But Labour’s Keir Starmer said: “Whipping up the idea of riots or even death threats is the height of irresponsibility. But it is also pretty obviously being orchestrated.”

The PM ruled out resigning to allow somebody else to apply for an extension.

“I’ve undertaken to lead the party and the country at a difficult time and I’m going to continue to do that,” he said.