Conservative leadership contest: Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt rule out calling snap general election before Brexit Mr Johnson took aim at his rival’s argument that Brexit should be briefly delayed beyond the current departure date of 31 October

Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson ruled out calling a snap general election as they clashed for the final time in the battle for Downing Street.

Their comments came as MPs of all parties prepare for a possible autumn poll on the grounds that it could be the only way out of the Brexit impasse.

Mr Johnson, the favourite for the Tory leadership, insisted that he “absolutely” would not go to the country before Britain had left the European Union.

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“It would be the height of folly,” he told the debate hosted by The Sun and talkRADIO.

“I think the people of this country are utterly fed up with politicians coming back to them offering referendums or elections.”

Election ruled out

Asked to choose between an election or a second referendum to resolve Brexit, Mr Hunt replied that he would not countenance either.

He added: “If we get this wrong we will trip ourselves into an accidental general election… And we might well give the keys to Downing Street to somebody who will never deliver Brexit.”

But differences emerged when Mr Johnson refused to guarantee that net migration would fall if he succeeds Theresa May.

He said: “I am not going to get into some numbers game. We will have control. That is what people voted for.”

‘Take back control’

By contrast, the Foreign Secretary said: “I actually agree with Boris about taking back control. But people also voted with the expectation that overall levels of net migration would come down.”

Mr Johnson took aim at his rival’s argument that Brexit should be briefly delayed beyond the current departure date of 31 October if that was the price for clinching a deal.

“How many days? Is that three days, is that six days? You’ve said you’d be prepared to wait until Christmas, which Christmas is it?”

Mr Hunt retorted that he was better qualified than his opponent to get Brexit over the line. “Boris will put a smile on your face and he does it better than anyone. But if you want the detailed delivery of Brexit you have got to have a plan… people want calm leadership and delivery.”

The pair agreed that the controversial backstop scheme for protecting the Irish border was effectively redundant.