Boris Johnson believes EU will cave in at last minute to save Ireland from No Deal Brexit

BORIS Johnson believes the EU will do a Brexit deal with him to save Ireland, but only at the last minute.

The PM now expects Brussels to wait for the outcome of Parliament’s efforts to delay or reverse Brexit next month before engaging with him, a No10 source said.

Boris blames Remain MPs’ plots for the delay in any renegotiation of the backstop in Theresa May’s deal with the EU.

But close confidantes say he is convinced Europe’s leaders will budge over the key issue if MPs fail, because otherwise “Ireland is f*****”, they insist.

One Cabinet minister, a long standing Boris ally, told The Sun: “The EU will give us a better deal, because if they don’t Ireland is f*****. No Deal will destroy it.

“No deal hurts us, the EU and Ireland - but it hurts Ireland the most.

“A lot of Irish trade goes to Britain, and much of the rest comes through us to Europe.”

'OVERPLAYED HIS HAND'

The Cabinet minister added of Ireland’s taoiseach: “Varadkar has overplayed his hand. He’s in deep trouble and needs a way out”.

Britain is Ireland’s second biggest export market after the US, taking 12% of all its goods sold abroad.

Trade with EU countries accounts for half of all of Ireland’s exports, and 64% of its imports.

A No10 source added: “The EU are sitting back and waiting to see what Parliament does.

“So if there is to be a deal, it will come very late now. That is because of all the noise coming from the Remain side, but it’s also the history of the EU, it’s always last minute.”

Downing Street has also identified September 9 as a date when a cross-party coalition of Remain MPs may mount a Commons bid to force another Article 50 extension.

The date, a week after MPs return from their summer break, is likely to see a debate on Northern Ireland as the Government must hold one by law five days after reporting to Parliament on September 4.

Mr Johnson may also meet key EU leaders Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron to discuss Brexit just ahead of the G7 summit in Biarritz.

But he will not see Ireland’s PM Leo Varadkar until after the summit.

Turning up the pressure on Labour yesterday, Boris tweeted: “Jeremy Corbyn wants to cancel the referendum and argue about Brexit for years. I am committed to leading our country forward and getting Britain out of the EU by October 31st #LeaveOct31”.

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