UK to leave EU on October 31, deal or no deal, Boris Johnson says as he launches leadership bid

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to be Britain’s next prime minister, promised on Monday to lead the country out of the European Union on October 31, launching his leadership bid in a campaign video.

Prime Minister Theresa May is due to resign on Friday. Johnson, a former foreign minister who resigned in protest at May’s handling of Brexit, is the bookmakers’ favorite to win a crowded contest, Reuters said.

“If I get in we’ll come out, deal or no deal, on October the 31st,” Johnson was seen telling a member of the public in a campaign video released on Twitter. “Now is the time to unite our society, and unite our country,” he said.

The leadership battle so far has 13 contenders and could take two months to determine the winner.