Delay Brexit? I'd rather be dead in a ditch: British PM

Boris Johnson says there is no point in further delay

LONDON/ WAKEFIELD: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised on Thursday he would never delay Britain's exit from the European Union, due on October 31, saying he would rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than do so.

Asked if he could promise to the British public that he would not go to Brussels and ask for another delay to Brexit, Johnson said: "Yes I can. I'd rather be dead in a ditch." "It achieves absolutely nothing.

What on earth is the point of further delay," he added, speaking following a speech at a police station in northern England.

Boris Johnson has forged an image of himself as a jovial, wisecracking mop head but after a few weeks as Britain’s Brexit Prime Minister the winning smile gave way this week to a scowl and a wagging finger as his ruthless streak emerged.

Brexit ordeal unmasks PM Johnson's ruthless side

Living up to his reputation as a high-stakes political gambler, Johnson, 55, is betting the house on forcing an election and regaining the parliamentary majority needed to carry out his plans to leave the European Union (EU).

But within six weeks he has seen his Conservative party’s thin parliamentary majority disappear as MPs seized control of the parliamentary discussions on leaving the EU.

Failure in the coming weeks could see him consigned to history as Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister.

Johnson sacked 21 Tory MPs from the party for voting against the government in a parliamentary vote on Brexit on Tuesday that showed a ruthless streak at odds with his easy-going image and triggered a backlash from some Tories and accusations of dictatorial behaviour.

“It’s like something out of North Korea,” one aide was quoted as saying by the Politico website.