UK to attempt to negotiate new Brexit deal with EU

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will press the European Union in an attempt to negotiate a new Brexit deal before 31 October his office said on Tuesday.

Although his main plan is to leave the EU with a deal, the government will also be preparing the country to leave the bloc in case he fails.

The new PM is set on leaving the EU and his conviction to go through with a no-deal Brexit if necessary has stoked concerns among business leaders and weakened the pound. Sterling fell to its lowest level in over two years on Monday.

Johnson wants a new Brexit deal to scrap the so-called backstop guarantee for the Irish border which is meant to ensure that there will not be checks on goods crossing the border with the Republic of Ireland.

He argues that the proposal is undemocratic since it risks locking the UK in a trading relationship with the EU indefinitely.

Johnson will travel to a farm in Wales Tuesday to hear the views of agricultural workers about their lives after October.Speaking before his trip, Johnson said Brexit would allow the UK to scrap the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and export more food and farm produce around the world when the the country is free of EU restraints.

“Once we leave the EU on Oct. 31, we will have a historic opportunity to introduce new schemes to support farming – and we will make sure that farmers gets a better deal," Johnson said. "Brexit presents enormous opportunities for our country, and it’s time we looked to the future with pride and optimism."