EU will be guilty of 'historic misunderstanding' if it thinks Benn Act will delay Brexit, Downing...

Boris Johnson has warned the EU that his plans are the final opportunity to avert no deal as his hopes of securing a Brexit agreement stood on a knife edge.

Ahead of a critical week, the prime minister issued an ultimatum to the French president Emmanuel Macron and said Brussels must not be lured into the mistaken belief that Brexit will be delayed beyond 31 October.

A senior No 10 source said it would be a ”historic misunderstanding” for the EU to place its faith in the Benn Act – a backbench law designed to force Mr Johnson to delay Brexit if he has not struck a deal by 19 October.