Boris Johnson is set to warn the Tory party it will “kick the bucket” if MPs delay Brexit any further.
In a set-piece speech, the former foreign secretary will put a pledge to quit the EU by this November - with or without a deal - at the heart of his bid to succeed Theresa May as prime minister.
After heavy criticism that he has avoided scrutiny of his blueprint for Britain, Johnson will finally break cover to formally launch his campaign for the Conservative leadership.
Labour is on Wednesday launching a cross-party move to use Parliament to block his no-deal threat, in a bid to pre-empt the outcome of the Tory contest.
But Johnson will warn that the twin threat of Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn could wipe out Tory MPs at the next election if Brexit has not been delivered to the 17 million people who voted ‘Leave’ in 2016.
He will declare that after failing to leave in March and April, the UK cannot get a better deal with Brussels if it again postpones its exit a third time.
“We simply will not get a result if we give the slightest hint that we want to go on kicking the can down the road with yet more delay,” he will say.
“Delay means defeat. Delay means Corbyn. Kick the can and we kick the bucket.”
““Delay means defeat. Delay means Corbyn. Kick the can and we kick the bucket.””
The Tory frontrunner, who has more MPs backing him than any other rival, will stress that only delivering Brexit will allow the nation to unite and move on with its other pressing priorities.
“Now is the time to unite this country and unite this society, and we cannot begin that task until we have delivered on the primary request of the people; the one big thing they have asked us to do. After three years and two missed deadlines, we must leave the EU on October 31.
“With every week and month that goes by in which we fail to deliver on our promise I am afraid we will further alienate not just our natural supporters but anyone who believes that politicians should deliver on their promises.”
The former Mayor of London, who twice won City Hall in the capital, will seek to highlight his ability to win Labour votes in the face of leftwing opponents like Ken Livingstone.
“We cannot let them anywhere near Downing Street. I would remind you that the last time I faced an emanation of that Marxist cabal I defeated him when the Conservatives were 17 points behind in London. And we can do it again.”
A new ComRes/DailyTelegraph poll found that if Johnson became leader he would turn the current four-point deficit behind Labour into a Tory lead of 15 points. The Tories would be on 37% to Labour’s 22%, the Brexit Party cut back to 14% and the Lib Dems on 20%.
The survey found that if the Tories held an election now they would be 36 seats behind Jeremy Corbyn. But if Johnson were PM the Conservatives would have a majority of 140 seats.