Boris Johnson today tells Brussels that Britain will break out of its 'manacles' like The Incredible Hulk if a Brexit deal cannot be struck by October 31.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, the Prime Minister says that if negotiations break down, he will ignore the Commons vote ordering him to delay the UK's departure, adding: 'The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.'

Mr Johnson's bullish declaration comes ahead of a crunch meeting tomorrow with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.

There has been cautious optimism that negotiations with the EU are edging closer to a breakthrough.

Boris Johnson today tells Brussels that Britain will break out of its 'manacles' like The Incredible Hulk if a Brexit deal cannot be struck by October 31

And in his interview, Mr Johnson reports 'real signs of movement' in Berlin, Paris and Dublin over ditching the backstop that would tie the UK or Northern Ireland to EU rules – the issue which proved fatal to Theresa May's deal.

'I think that… we will get there,' he says. 'I will be talking to Jean-Claude about how we're going to do it.

'I'm very confident. When I got this job everybody was saying there can be absolutely no change to the Withdrawal Agreement, the backstop was immutable, the arrangements by which the UK was kept locked in to the EU for ever, they said no one could change that.

'They have already moved off that and, as you know, there's a very, very good conversation going on about how to address the issues of the Northern Irish border. A huge amount of progress is being made.'

If he fails to strike a deal, Mr Johnson is adamant that he will not obey Parliament's order to ask the EU to extend Article 50. He has said that he would rather 'die in a ditch' than do so.

No 10 strategists say they have devised a secret plan, known only to the PM and three key advisers, which they claim will allow them to ignore the order without breaking the law – although most legal experts are sceptical that such a ruse could work.

Mr Johnson's bullish declaration comes ahead of a crunch meeting tomorrow with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker

Mr Johnson's remarks come after a torrid fortnight for the Government during which he stripped the whip from 21 of his own MPs for voting for the 'surrender bill' and suffered the resignations of his brother Jo Johnson, who was Universities Minister, and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd.

Last week a Scottish court added to his problems by ruling that his suspension of Parliament was illegal. In other developments last night:

The UK's chief negotiator David Frost has drafted a new legal text to present to Brussels but has not yet shared the wording amid fears it will leak;

David Cameron was hit by a fierce backlash over his memoirs in which he criticised Mr Johnson and Michael Gove for their conduct during the referendum campaign;

Labour's Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer was plotting to become an caretaker Prime Minister if the Johnson Government falls next month – rather than his party leader Jeremy Corbyn;

Whitehall sources said they suspected Mr Johnson was planning to prorogue Parliament for a second time next month as part of moves to derail a forced delay to Brexit;

Mr Johnson said he was confident that the Supreme Court would overturn the Scottish court's decision;

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan broke ranks with the Brexiteer-led Cabinet by saying she would vote Remain if there was a second referendum;

The Prime Minister revealed how poetry and 6am walks with his new dog help him to deal with Brexit stresses.

Mr Johnson will travel to Luxembourg tomorrow to meet Mr Juncker over a lunch of snails, salmon and cheese.

The two men, who have spoken twice on the phone, are expected to be joined by Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier and the UK's chief negotiator Mr Frost.

In his MoS interview, Mr Johnson said that the UK would emulate Bruce Banner, the mild-mannered scientist who transformed into the Hulk when angry.

'Banner might be bound in manacles, but when provoked he would explode out of them,' he says. 'Hulk always escaped, no matter how tightly bound in he seemed to be – and that is the case for this country. We will come out on October 31 and we will get it done.'

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, the Prime Minister says that if negotiations break down, he will ignore the Commons vote ordering him to delay the UK's departure, adding: 'The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets'

A No 10 source added: 'Parliament has failed the country – MPs have spent three years frustrating Brexit.

'All MPs can agree on is one delay after another. They want to send the PM to Brussels, cap doffed, begging for another pointless extension.

'Labour wants another delay, more talks, then another referendum in which they might vote against their own new deal – it's beyond a joke. Most people want this resolved, with a deal if possible but without if necessary, and this is what the Prime Minister is trying to do. Everyone said we would never get the Withdrawal Agreement opened. That has happened. We're making good progress.

'The PM will not negotiate a delay at the European Council on October 17 and 18. We expect a court battle afterwards and attempts to pass legislation revoking Article 50, which the Prime Minister will refuse to consider in any circumstances.'

Last night Mr Johnson added: 'Don't be fooled by Corbyn and the Remain ringleaders. On the one hand they say I don't want a deal. On the other they want to force me to extend.

'Both are wrong. I am straining to get a deal, but I will also end the uncertainty and take us out on October 31.'