Boris Johnson suggests his new Brexit proposals will be kept secret until UK and EU have 'done the deal'

Boris Johnson has rejected the EU’s call to publish his new Brexit proposals and may try to keep them secret until the UK and EU have “done the deal”.

In an interview after his humiliation in Luxembourg, the prime minister also refused – seven times – to say how he plans to defy parliament’s order to avoid the UK crashing out of the EU on 31 October.

Mr Johnson declined to rule out taking parliament to court if necessary, while vowing Brexit will go ahead on Halloween and yet insisting: “We will obey the law.”

He also admitted the EU was no closer to giving ground on the Irish backstop, still the crucial sticking point, despite repeatedly existing huge progress was being made in the talks.

Earlier, Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU Commission president, hit out at the UK’s failure to show its hand after their face-to-face talks, saying: “Proposals have not yet been made.”

• Read more

Boris Johnson ‘thought Brexit would lose’, says David Cameron

But, asked when the proposals will finally appear, Mr Johnson told the BBC: “There's a limit to how much the details benefit from publicity before we've actually done the deal.”

Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg, he admitted: “It's certainly the case that the Commission is still officially sticking on their position that the backstop has got to be there.”

If it refused to bend, the UK would “exit with no deal on 31 October”, he insisted, adding: “That's not what I want, it's not what they want and we're going to work very hard to avoid it – but, but that's the reality.”

If no agreement has been approved by MPs by 19 October, the law passed by parliament will compel Mr Johnson to seek an extension to Article 50 to avoid a no-deal Brexit on Halloween.

He was pressed, repeatedly, how he “proposed to get round that”, but refused to say what he would do to avoid the devastating U-turn of asking for Brexit to be delayed.

“I will uphold the constitution, I will obey the law, but we will come out on 31 October,” the prime minister vowed, but without explaining the obvious contradiction.

Asked if he was “looking for a way around the law”, Mr Johnson replied: “Well, you know those are your words.”

And asked, twice, if he would “take parliament to court”, he said only: “Our first priority if I may say so, just to try and look on the bright side for a second or two, is to come out with a deal and that's what we're working to achieve.”

No new ideas have been put forward, despite the prime minister accepting Angela Merkel’s 30-day challenge to do so – a deadline that will be reached this Friday.

The chairman of the Commons Brexit committee also piled on pressure over the lack of progress, noting Mr Johnson had told the German Chancellor they would appear “long before” the 30 days expired.

“I would be grateful if you could confirm when you intend to publish your proposals for an alternative to the backstop so that they can be scrutinised by the select committee, MPs and the public,” Hilary Benn wrote, in a letter.

The Independent understands that no proposals will appear before Mr Johnson visits New York for the annual opening of the United Nations next week.

The Conservative conference is the following week – the worst time to signal an unpopular compromise to the Tory faithful – which would put back their appearance until early October.

Read more

Read more Boris Johnson ‘thought Brexit would lose’, says David Cameron

It is down to us to fight for a Britain free of tyranny

UK investment faces most sustained slump in 17 years

Brexit uncertainty ‘could force human trafficking helpline to close’

Legal loophole 'would allow Boris Johnson to deliver no-deal Brexit'