Boris Johnson claims people won’t be talking about Brexit in 2020

Boris Johnson on ITV's Peston programme. Photograph: ITV. - Credit: Archant

Boris Johnson has claimed 2020 will be ‘the year we finally put behind us the arguments and uncertainty over Brexit’ if the Tories get a majority at the election.

Johnson was asked on ITV’s Peston if everybody will stop talking about Brexit after the end of January, and he said: “Yes, and now let me say something.

“We will have got Brexit done and you will find that it moves, because what will happen is that the parliamentary agony will be over, and the political agony will be over, and the misery and tedium and procrastination that’s been going on will be over.”

He also denied that Conservative parliamentary candidates were forced to sign up to his deal, saying: “I have not forced them, that is totally unfair, there was absolutely no lobotomy…”

Pressed on whether he did not say they could not be candidates, he said: “No, not at all.”

In an announcement detailing the first 100 days of a new Tory government the prime minister claimed they will have passed the Withdrawal Agreement and delivered Brexit by March 22.

But his claims were quickly ridiculed by opposition MPs.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Boris Johnson is once again lying to the British public by pretending he can actually deliver on any of these promises.

“This is pure fantasy. A Tory government would remain completely consumed by Brexit not just for the next 100 days, but for years to come.”

Tom Brake, Lib Dem Brexit spokesman, added that Johnson “pretending that Brexit will be over by January is insulting to the British public”.