Boris Johnson news: Prime minister renews vow to leave EU by Halloween ‘no matter what’, amid warnings over no-deal civil unrest
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Boris Johnson has been forced to defend his support for a no-deal Brexit strategy on a trip to Wales, as the pound slumped to a two-year low against the dollar.
The new prime minister tried to woo Welsh farmers on his first visit since taking office, who face being slapped with swingeing tariffs if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal.
After receiving a frosty reception in Scotland, where he was booed by protesters, Mr Johnson was also braced for a tough meeting with Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford, who has warned a no-deal Brexit would be “catastrophic” for the country.
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The pound slumped to a new two-year low against the dollar after Boris Johnson announced the government was “turbo-charging” preparations for a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.
Sterling dropped to as low as $1.2243 on Monday after falling 1 per cent against the US currency. The pound was also down 1 per cent against the euro at €1.102.
The fall extended a slide that has seen the pound drop from as high as $1.33 in March, hitting British holidaymakers’ spending power as they jet off for summer breaks.
More from our business team here:
Boris Johnson will be in Wales today on the latest stop on his tour of the UK, which included visits to Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland - where he was booed by protesters.
He will try to woo Welsh farmers, who are likely to be hit by swingeing tariffs if the UK crashes out of the EU without a Brexit deal. He will also discuss his Brexit approach with Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford and pay a visit to Brecon and Radnorshire, where there will be a crucial by-election on Thursday.
Ahead of the trip, Mr Johnson said: "I will always back Britain's great farmers and as we leave the EU we need to make sure that Brexit works for them.
"That means scrapping the common agricultural policy and signing new trade deals - our amazing food and farming sector will be ready and waiting to continue selling ever more, not just here but around the world.
"Once we leave the EU on October 31, we will have a historic opportunity to introduce new schemes to support farming - and we will make sure that farmers get a better deal.
"Brexit presents enormous opportunities for our country and it's time we looked to the future with pride and optimism."
Boris Johnson should expect a cool reception when he meets Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford later today.
Ahead of the meeting, the Labour politician said: "My main message to the PM remains the same: he has no public mandate for a no-deal Brexit, which would be catastrophic for Wales.
"If the UK does leave the EU, the UK government must work in close partnership with the Welsh government to mitigate negative effects on Wales and its economy."
Tony Blair's former director of communications Alastair Campbell has said he no longer wants to be a Labour member, as he warned the party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership faced an "existential crisis".
In an open letter to the Labour leader, the former No 10 spin doctor claimed Mr Corbyn is unlikely to win a majority if a general election is called in the coming months.
Insisting Labour could be "destroyed as a serious political force", Mr Campbell made clear he does not want to rejoin the party. He was expelled in May after saying he had voted for the Liberal Democrats at the European elections in protest at Labour's stance on Brexit.
Boris Johnson has been told he could face protests in Wales if he decided to play "Russian roulette with agriculture" by taking the UK out of the EU without a deal.
Helen Roberts, of the national Sheep Association, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it would be “absolutely catastrophic” to leave with no deal and could lead to civil unrest among sheep farmers.
It comes after the Farmers Union of Wales recently warned that there could be "civil unrest" in rural Wales in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Here is the reception Boris Johnson received in Scotland yesterday.
Boris Johnson’s new head of communications used to dress up as a chicken and harass Tory politicians on the street, his former employer has revealed.
Lee Cain, appointed the prime minister’s spin doctor, was previously a reporter at The Daily Mirror and was sent out in a chicken costume to taunt David Cameron during the 2010 general election campaign.
Plenty of reaction to the news that Boris Johnson's top comms chief Lee Cain was once the Mirror chicken.
Tom McTague, the former Independent on Sunday political editor, also reminisces about his time as a Mirror chicken.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn will join anti-fracking protesters in Lancashire today as he warns Boris Johnson the UK could miss its net zero target by decades in fracking is allowed to go ahead.
The Labour leader called on the prime minister to impose an immediate ban on the recovery of shale gas as Labour released figures suggesting that full exploitation of the energy source could double national emissions of global warming-causing carbon dioxide (CO2) between now and 2050.
Mr Corbyn will accuse Mr Johnson of “bending the knee” to energy companies in his speech later.
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