Boris Johnson has tried to divert attention away from his refusal to take part in a Sky News debate, by challenging Jeremy Hunt to guarantee Brexit will happen at the end of October.

Mr Johnson sent a letter to his Tory leadership rival, calling on him to guarantee he would take Britain out of the EU and not ask Brussels for another extension.

But Mr Hunt quickly hit back, calling on Mr Johnson to ditch the "snail-mail" and turn up to the head-to-head contest, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday.

Hi Boris, it’s good to talk. But no need for snail-mail, why not turn up to Sky tonight and I’ll give you full and frank answers?#BoJoNoShow https://t.co/Irnk8rgrIz — Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) June 25, 2019

Mr Johnson wrote on Twitter: "If I become PM, we will leave the EU on 31st October, deal or no deal. Today I have asked @Jeremy_Hunt whether he will also commit to this date, no matter what.

"We must keep our promises to the British people and deliver Brexit - no ifs, no buts, and no second referendum."


If I become PM, we will leave the EU on 31st October, deal or no deal. Today I have asked @Jeremy_Hunt whether he will also commit to this date, no matter what. We must keep our promises to the British people and deliver Brexit - no ifs, no buts, and no second referendum. pic.twitter.com/YgRSfESSFY — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 25, 2019

Mr Hunt quickly replied: "Hi Boris, it's good to talk. But no need for snail-mail, why not turn up to Sky tonight and I'll give you full and frank answers? #BoJoNoShow."

It comes after Mr Hunt taunted his rival's refusal to take him on in a head-to-head Sky News debate, calling it a "BoJoNoShow".

Mr Hunt had committed to take part in the debate with Mr Johnson on Tuesday evening as the pair battle for the keys to Number 10.

Sky News has postponed the live broadcast until 1 July because Mr Johnson has so far declined the invitation.

The foreign secretary said he would instead answer people's questions on Twitter and announced the plan with the hashtag #BoJoNoShow.

Join me tonight at 8pm on Twitter👇 #BoJoNoShow pic.twitter.com/XCJDn8BxUp — Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) June 25, 2019

During the Q&A, Mr Hunt:

:: Ruled out holding a second Brexit referendum

:: Pledged to tackle climate change by reaching a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050

:: Admitted Tory cuts to policing had gone "too far"

:: Promised to give EU citizens living in the UK "full rights" if he becomes prime minister

:: Expressed "regret" for NHS junior doctor strikes when he was health secretary

Mr Johnson's supporters were quick to criticise the hashtag and express disappointment in Mr Hunt for the tone of his campaign.

Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC earlier, Mr Johnson batted away claims he is a coward, pointing to the 16 further hustings he and Mr Hunt will do before the leadership contest wraps up in about four weeks' time.

Mr Hunt has told the BBC that he is the candidate who can be trusted to deliver Brexit.

In an apparent jab at his rival, Mr Hunt said the personality of the next prime minister would be critical to whether Britain can get a new Brexit deal.

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"Both Boris and I want to change that deal, and the judgement is, who is the person we trust as PM to go to Brussels and bring back that deal?" he said.

"It's about the personality of our PM. If you choose someone where there's no trust, there's going to be no negotiation, no deal. And quite possibly a general election, which could mean we have no Brexit either."

Mr Hunt also dismissed Mr Johnson's commitment to take Britain out of the EU by the end of October as a "fake" deadline.

"I think that 31st of October come hell or high water is a fake deadline, because it's more likely to trip us into a general election before we've delivered Brexit, and that would hand the keys to Jeremy Corbyn and then we'd have no Brexit at all," he said.

Following the morning's cabinet meeting, Mr Hunt was at the dispatch box in the House of Commons, where he appeared to win the backing of shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, who congratulated him for making the final two.

She said: "It gives me an opportunity to congratulate the foreign secretary directly, not just for being in the final two, getting into the final two, but also being the only candidate who has the police outside his house for the right reasons."

Mr Hunt called his rival a "coward" on Monday and said that Mr Johnson's refusal to take part in the debate was "disrespectful" to Conservative Party members who have about two weeks to consider their choices before their postal ballots arrive.

On Twitter, Mr Johnson has committed to a similar event hosted by ITV next month.