Boris Johnson: 'The Incredible Sulk chickens out' of Brexit press conference amid noisy protests as EU decries lack of 'concrete proposals'

Boris Johnson and Jean-Claude Juncker meet for their working lunch.

Lib Dem foreign spokesman Chuka Umunna has begun speaking in Bournemouth.

He told has told the conference he joined the party out of conviction, saying: “It’s one of the best political decisions I've ever made since going into politics … I could not be more at home.”

Umunna has also attacked the prime minister, referring to him as a “peddler of hate”.

“Boris Johnson has facilitated the takeover of government by the remnants of the Vote Leave campaign – an outfit found guilty of lying ... cheating, and breaking the law.”

Jolyon Maugham QC – the lawyer behind efforts to reverse the suspension of parliament – has said a “flaw” in legislation demanding Boris Johnson ask for a three-month delay.

In theory, the PM could still the UK out of the EU even if MPs voted in favour of a new deal in October.

“The situation now, as has always been the case, is the only absolutely certain way to avoid no deal is for parliament to legislate to change the default if no agreement is reached from no deal to revoke [Article 50],” he wrote.

One MP told The Times pushing through a no deal after MPs had voted for a deal would be “pure Dick Dastardly”.

Dominic Grieve, the former attorney-general, added: “Jolyon Maugham has identified that an utterly mendacious PM might pretend to reach an agreement with the EU, get the Commons to approve it and then renege upon it so that he could crash us out on the 31st October, as following approval of a deal, his obligation to seek an extension would cease.”

Labour MP Liz Kendall and former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve, who was one of the Tories kicked out of the party by Boris Johnson earlier this month, are the bookies’ favourites to become the next MPs to defect to the Liberal Democrats.

According to Betway, both are 6/1 bets, shortly ahead of Labour MP Jess Phillips (7/1), former Tory justice secretary David Gauke (8/1) and Conservative ex-minister Guto Bebb (10/1).

New Liberal Democrat MP Luciana Berger received a rapturous reception from hundreds of party activists who crammed into a packed meeting to welcome her at the annual conference in Bournemouth, writes political editor Andrew Woodcock.

The former Labour MP said she expected more defectors to follow her and ex-Tory Sam Gyimah into the party.

"I've been struck by the number of colleagues from all across the House who've gone out of their way to say 'well done for moving' and I can see they have a glint in their eye," she said.

"Why are people contemplating it? Because the other parties have crept towards the fringes, the extremes of left and right.

"We are seeing people essentially being held hostage in their parties because there are MPs of all political colours who are struggling with what's happening and decisions being taken by their leadership."

Ms Berger and she was "not going to agree on everything" with former Tories like Gyimah and Phillip Lee, but insisted "what binds us is much stronger than the issues that divide us".

She said her former party Labour was now "institutionally antisemitic" and had allowed prejudice against Jews to "fester" in its ranks.

She was cheered as she said Lib Dems had "everything to play for" in the coming election, but declined to reveal whether she hoped to fight it in her current constituency of Liverpool Wavertree or seek a more winnable seat.

Full story: Legal loophole would allow Boris Johnson to deliver no-deal Brexit next month, expert warns

“I think we’re in a new type of politics,” says Lib Dem deputy leader Sir Ed Davey. “We’ve talked about a government of national unity … to try to sort this mess out.”

But leader Jo Swinson has said she would not go into coalition with either Labour or the Tories after an election if there’s a hung parliament.

So no breakthrough then. The European Commission said proposals to replace the Irish backstop “have not yet been made” by Boris Johnson.

In a statement following the restaurant talks, the commission said: “President Jean-Claude Juncker and Prime Minister Johnson had a working lunch today in Luxembourg.

“The aim of the meeting was to take stock of the ongoing technical talks between the EU and the UK and to discuss the next steps.

“President Juncker recalled that it is the UK’s responsibility to come forward with legally operational solutions that are compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement.

“President Juncker underlined the Commission's continued willingness and openness to examine whether such proposals meet the objectives of the backstop. Such proposals have not yet been made.”

Boris Johnson and Jean-Claude Juncker (Reuters) 

Despite the lack of a firm proposal by the prime minister’s team, Jean Claude-Juncker did tell reporters negotiations would continue at “high speed”.

Boris Johnson and Jean-Claude Juncker were booed and jeered as they left their working lunch in Luxembourg.

Our prime minister was heckled by people chanting “go home Boris” and “stop Brexit”, according to the Press Association. Others held anti-Brexit placards, including one that read: “My future is not a toy.”