Boris Johnson pledges to bring back Brexit deal before Christmas

Boris Johnson is promising to bring back his Brexit deal to Parliament before Christmas if the Tories are returned to power in the General Election on December 12.

The prime minister will unveil the party's blueprint for government when he launches the Tories much-anticipated manifesto in the West Midlands on Sunday.

Mr Johnson will pledge to open a "new chapter" in Britain's history - ensuring the country is out of the EU by the end of January.

The Tories have been campaigning hard on their “Get Brexit Done” message – with the PM repeatedly telling voters he has an “oven ready” deal that can get the UK out of the EU by January 31.

Boris Johnson let slip his plan to raise national insurance thresholds during a campaign visit to Teesside. Credit: PA

Brexit will therefore feature heavily in the manifesto – with the Tories’ pledge to drive their deal through the Commons within the next two months, and then begin negotiating the UK’s long-term relationship with Brussels.

Aside from Brexit, the manifesto will include a "triple tax lock" - guaranteeing the rates of income tax, national insurance and VAT will not rise under a re-elected Conservative government.

The Tories are also promising a £1 billion boost for after-school and holiday childcare with the aim of providing on-site childcare for 250,000 more primary school children over the summer.

The manifesto will commit £6.3 billion for energy efficiency measures to cut fuel bills for 2.2 million homes targeting social housing and “fuel poor” families, while maintaining the current energy price cap.

Brexit features heavily in the Tory party manifesto. Credit: PA

There will be a £3 billion national skills fund as the first step towards creating a new “right to retrain”.

In a clear appeal to motorists, the party is promising the country’s “biggest ever” pothole-filling programme, with an injection of £2 billion as part of the Government national infrastructure strategy.

Chancellor Sajid Javid told Sky's Sophy Ridge the party is releasing "the most detailed most transparent costings that has ever been published in British electoral history."

"[The manifesto] will take every additional cost that is in our manifesto, whether it is tax or anything else, and we will set out exactly how we're going to fund it for the lifetime of the parliament," he said.

Mr Javid also said a no-deal Brexit could be taken off the table if the Tories won a majority in the Commons.

He told Sky News: "The only risk of no-deal is if there is not a Conservative majority. I think that's self evident.

"If we have a majority, we've got a deal is ready to go."

Mr Johnson described his decision to re-introduce the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) – ratifying his Brexit deal with Brussels – in December as an “early Christmas present” for voters fed up with the wrangling over Britain’s departure from the EU.

“As families sit down to carve up their turkeys this Christmas, I want them to enjoy their festive-season free from the seemingly unending Brexit box-set drama,” he said in a statement ahead of the launch event in the West Midlands.

“The Conservative manifesto, which I’m proud to launch today, will get Brexit done and allow us to move on and unleash the potential of the whole country.”

Although the bill cannot complete its passage through Parliament before Christmas, the move will be seen as a clear sign of Mr Johnson’s determination to get it through in time for Britain to leave the EU by the January 31 deadline.

Following the election, the new House of Commons is due to sit for the first time on Tuesday December 17.

The first two days are likely to be taken up with the swearing in of the new MPs, potentially with the State Opening and the Queen’s Speech on the Thursday.

That could mean MPs sitting the following Monday – the start of Christmas week – to allow the WAB to be formally introduced, although it is not clear whether there could be any further progress before the holiday.

MPs in the last parliament voted to back the bill at second reading, but the Prime Minister withdrew it after they refused to support a timetable motion to fast-track it through the Commons in just three days.

Mr Johnson said: “It’s time to turn the page from the dither, delay and division of recent years, and start a new chapter in the incredible history of this country, the greatest place on Earth.

“We have achieved amazing things together in the past, and I know we will achieve even more in the future – if only we choose the right path at this critical election.”