Johnson pushes UK closer to no-deal Brexit

Johnson is trying to pressure the EU to give ground by intensifying preparations for the UK to leave the bloc in three months without a deal.

Faslane naval base:British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday pushed Britain closer to a no-deal exit from the European Union insisting that he will not hold Brexit talks with EU leaders unless the bloc lifts its refusal to reopen the existing divorce deal.

During a visit to the Faslane naval base in Scotland Johnson said, "My assumption is that we can get a new deal, we are aiming for a new deal."

Johnson is trying to pressure the EU to give ground by intensifying preparations for the UK to leave the bloc in three months without a deal.

While the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU in 2016, Scotland backed remaining by a large margin.

Sturgeon, who leads the semi-autonomous Edinburgh-based government said that Scotland should hold a vote on independence from the UK if it is taken out of the EU against its will.

Johnson became prime minister last week after winning a Conservative Party leadership contest by promising the strongly pro-Brexit party membership that the U.K. will leave the EU on the scheduled date of October 31, with or without a divorce deal.