Boris Johnson told he has 'no mandate' for no-deal Brexit as petition is handed in

Boris Johnson has been told he has "no mandate" for a no-deal Brexit after a petition was handed in urging him to strike a deal with the EU.

More than 100,000 people signed the petition organised by European Movement UK, a grass-roots campaign group focused on Britain's relationship with Brussels.

Signatories claimed that "a damaging No Deal Brexit, combined with the consequences of the current Covid19 pandemic would be catastrophic for both our economy and our NHS".

Former senior Tory MP Dominic Grieve said: "With trade negotiations hanging by a thread, as we face the worst economic crisis in 300 years, with millions of people up and down the country worried about their businesses and jobs, I urge the government to do everything it can to avert a No Deal.

"The British people have suffered enough without a No Deal Brexit causing more misery and uncertainty for years to come. There is simply no mandate for a No Deal outcome."

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Johnson will shortly meet with EU president Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels in a bid to salvage Brexit trade talks which ended without progress last week.

If successful, the meeting could help usher in a new round of negotiations, superseding a previous deadline of this Thursday.

A final agreement will need to be translated into all 27 EU member state languages and approved in each parliament, including Westminster, where Johnson could face stiff opposition from within his own party.