Boris Johnson says it’s ‘highly unlikely’ there will be food shortages after Brexit

• Boris Johnson says a no-deal Brexit is now "touch and go" but insists it’s "highly unlikely" that it will lead to shortages of food and medicine.
• The UK prime minister insists Britain will be ready to leave without a deal.
• He warns that the chances of a no-deal Brexit are now "touch and go" having previously insisted there was only a "million to one" chance of it happening.
• He says a no-deal exit will be the fault of the European Union.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has insisted it is "highly unlikely" there will be any food or medicine shortages if Britain leaves the EU without a deal at the end of October.

Speaking at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, Johnson told Sky News that the UK could "easily cope" with a no-deal Brexit.

"This is a great country… we can easily cope with a no-deal scenario," Johnson said.

"Frankly I think it’s highly unlikely there will be food shortages of any kind."

Read more: Boris Johnson wants Ireland to leave EU trade rules and form a new union with the UK instead after Brexit

Speaking after his meeting with European Council president Donald Tusk, Johnson also said it was now "touch and go" whether Britain would leave without a deal.

"I think it’s going to be touch and go. But the important thing is to get ready to come out without a deal," Johnson told the BBC.

The prime minister has previously insisted there was only a "million to one chance" of a no-deal Brexit.

Johnson sought to blame the European Union for the impasse, saying that Britain would not be to blame if the country leaves without an agreement.

Watch Boris Johnson: A no-deal Brexit is now ‘touch and go’

The prime minister also suggested that the UK would withhold much of the £39 billion it has previously agreed to pay the EU, of it leaves without a deal. 

"If we come out without an agreement it is certainly true that the £39 billion is no longer, strictly speaking, owed," he told ITV.

"There will be very substantial sums available to our country to spend on our priorities. It’s not a threat – it’s a simple fact of reality."

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See Also:

• Angela Merkel challenges Boris Johnson to solve Brexit crisis in next ’30 days’
• Boris Johnson wants Ireland to leave EU trade rules and form a new union with the UK instead after Brexit
• Freedom of movement for EU citizens coming to the UK will continue largely unchanged after a no-deal Brexit

Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Adam Bienkov)