Boris Johnson promises to meet October Brexit deadline

Britain's new Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons in London. Pic /AFP

London: Boris Johnson promised British lawmakers that he will work "flat out" to meet the October 31 Brexit deadline and called on Brussels to rethink its opposition to renegotiate a more acceptable deal in his first speech as Prime Minister in the House of Commons on Thursday.

Johnson, who took over from Theresa May after a leadership election fought on the basis of getting Brexit done with or without a deal, reaffirmed his stance on striking a better deal with the European Union (EU) within 98 days' time. "Our mission is to deliver Brexit on the 31st of October for the purpose of uniting and re-energising our great United Kingdom and making this country the greatest place on earth. I will work flat out to make it happen," Johnson said. In a clear message to Brussels to return to the negotiating table, the new Prime Minister said his team was ready to negotiate an alternative in good faith, with provisions to ensure that the Irish border issues are dealt with in the negotiations on the future agreement between the UK and the EU.

Indian origin ministers

Johnson's Cabinet team, dubbed the most diverse in history, includes three Indian-origin ministers - Priti Patel (Home Secretary), Alok Sharma (International Development Secretary) and Rishi Sunak (Chief Secretary to the Treasury).

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