Boris Johnson blames Jeremy Corbyn for failure to deliver 'do or die Brexit'
Boris Johnson has placed the blame of failing to quit the EU “do or die” on October 31 squarely at the feet of Jeremy Corbyn.
On what would’ve been Brexit Day, the Prime Minister said it was the Labour leader’s fault that Brexit had now been put back to January 31.
Mr Johnson previously said he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than seek another Brexit extension, but ahead of visits to a school, hospital and police unit on Thursday, Mr Johnson said: "Today should have been the day that Brexit was delivered and we finally left the EU.
"But, despite the great new deal I agreed with the EU, Jeremy Corbyn refused to allow that to happen - insisting upon more dither, more delay and more uncertainty for families and business.
"We cannot continue along this path. I didn't want an election - like the country I wanted to get Brexit done, but it is the only way forward.”
As the General Election campaign cranked into gear, the PM added: "The public wants and expects the Government to give them hope and to improve their opportunities.
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"This is exactly what my Government has been doing for the past 99 days and exactly what my Government will continue to do if the public choose the Conservatives in this election.
"I want next year to be a great year for our country - with more investment in frontline NHS services, the recruitment of thousands more police officers to reduce violent crime and investment in every one of our primary and secondary schools across the country.
"The alternative is for the people of this country to spend the next year, which should be a glorious year, going through the toxic, tedious torpor of two more referendums - on EU membership and Scottish independence - thanks to Jeremy Corbyn's incessant indecision.
"Now is the time to break the deadlock so we can move on as a country. The Conservatives will campaign for a Parliament that gets Brexit done and delivers on the people's priorities, including the NHS, education and crime.”
However, Mr Corbyn put the blame back on Mr Johnson, saying the failure “is his and his alone”.
He tweeted: “Boris Johnson has spent months promising we'd leave the EU today. The failure to do so is his and his alone.
“Labour will get Brexit sorted by giving the people the final say within six months with the choice of a credible leave deal or remain. And we'll carry out what you decide.”
Boris Johnson has spent months promising we'd leave the EU today. The failure to do so is his and his alone. Labour will get Brexit sorted by giving the people the final say within six months with the choice of a credible leave deal or remain. And we'll carry out what you decide.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 31, 2019
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that Parliament was to blame for the failure to deliver Brexit by the Halloween deadline.
Mr Shapps told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "It is quite clearly Parliament that has failed to deliver it. He did absolutely everything in his power to get Parliament to come its senses.
"The clear thing is that Parliament is not going to let it happen and we have to have this election which nobody particularly wanted.
"Unless you want us to start breaking the law that Parliament sets, there is nothing you can do when Parliament is so dithering and delaying."