Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt divided over Brexit plans

Tory leadership rivals Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are at loggerheads over how the UK should leave the EU.

Both contenders for prime minister claim they can renegotiate a Brexit deal that the EU says is closed.

Mr Johnson said the UK must leave on 31 October “deal or no deal” but Mr Hunt called this a “fake deadline” that could trigger a general election if Parliament rejects a no-deal Brexit.

The winner of the contest will take over from Theresa May on 24 July.

The two men will face more questions from the public on Wednesday in a digital hustings, streamed on the Conservative Party’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Mr Hunt said he was prepared to leave without a deal, but not if there was a “prospect of a better deal”.

During a phone-in on BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show, the Mr Hunt agreed with a caller who said the EU was “treating us like dirt”, adding: “I don’t think they’ve shown respect for us at all.”

A no-deal exit would see the UK leave the customs union and single market overnight and start trading with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules.

Opponents say it would cause huge disruption at the borders and be catastrophic to many firms reliant on trade with the continent – supporters say any negative effects would be manageable.

The EU has repeatedly insisted it will not re-open negotiations on the withdrawal agreement drawn up between Brussels and Theresa May – rejected three times by MPs.

On Wednesday, a European Commission spokeswoman confirmed that remained the bloc’s position even if the only alternative was a no-deal exit.

Earlier, former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, who is backing Mr Johnson, said Mr Hunt had shown “weakness” and “naivety” by entertaining the possibility of another extension.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it would be the “EU’s choice” to see the UK leave without an agreement, adding: “There is nothing stopping us getting a deal by October, if there’s the political will.”

He predicted “vanishingly few” Tory MPs would vote to bring down a government pursuing a no-deal exit in a vote of no confidence – even though Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood has said “a dozen or so” Conservatives could support such a move.

It comes as International Trade Secretary Liam Fox – who is backing Mr Hunt – again criticised Mr Johnson’s claim that the UK could continue tariff-free trade with the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Johnson has argued that a provision under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade – known as GATT 24 – could be used to avoid tariffs for up to 10 years.

But Mr Fox said this would require the agreement of the EU, which Brussels has made clear it would not give.

On Tuesday, Mr Johnson conceded that his plan would require the approval of the rest of the EU, but insisted it was still “an option”.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt say they are serious about pushing for a no-deal Brexit if they are unable to negotiate a better withdrawal agreement with Brussels.

Yet the EU seems unfazed. Why, when we know EU leaders want to avoid a no-deal Brexit?

Part of the reason, at least, is time.

It’s summer. European capitals are sweltering under a heatwave with government ministers counting the days until they hit the beach or find some cool mountain air.

The day the Brexit extension runs out – 31 October – seems an eternity away in political terms.

Also, just as Messrs Johnson and Hunt do not accept the EU’s word when it says the Withdrawal Agreement cannot and will not be re-negotiated, EU leaders do not take them at their word when they threaten no deal by the end of October.

Former leadership candidate Rory Stewart, who is backing Mr Hunt, said the problem with Mr Johnson’s plan was that he was just telling people “what they want to hear”.

The international development secretary told the Today programme Mr Johnson was “pretending he has a magic solution” which was “not going to damage them at all”, but the reality was he was going to let people down.

He also said he would definitely vote against a Tory government to stop a no-deal Brexit, but would stop short of backing a no confidence vote.

Mr Johnson continues to face scrutiny about Friday’s row with his girlfriend Carrie Symonds, which prompted neighbours to call the police.

After days of criticism that he was hiding away, Mr Johnson undertook a series of media and public appearances on Tuesday – but declined to answer questions about the argument.

The day before, Mr Johnson told the BBC anyone questioning his character was “talking absolute nonsense”.