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Boris Johnson has been given one week to improve his Brexit offer to the EU as the Prime Minister prepares to embark on a series of whirlwind trips to European capitals in a last ditch bid to strike a deal.

Mr Johnson is expected to visit with a number of his European counterparts at the start of next week in a bid to persuade them to back his 'final offer'.

But the premier appears to be facing an uphill challenge to win them over after senior figures on the continent gave a downbeat response to his proposals on how to scrap the Irish border backstop.

The EU is yet to formally respond to Mr Johnson's five point plan but the initial noises have not been good for Number 10.

And things got worse overnight after it emerged that European ambassadors had reportedly set an October 11 cut-off date for Mr Johnson to make his plan more palatable to the bloc.

Should Mr Johnson fail to respond to the new deadline it raises the prospect of EU leaders refusing to discuss his blueprint at a crunch summit in Brussels on October 17 - the last summit before the UK's October 31 departure date.

Boris Johnson, pictured leaving Number 10 yesterday, submitted his 'final offer' on Brexit to the EU on Wednesday. He is expected to visit European capitals next week

Mr Johnson is likely to visit with Angela Merkel in Berlin, pictured in Kiel, Germany yesterday, but his hopes of progress will have been dashed by the EU's negative initial response to his backstop replacement proposals

The one week ultimatum was reportedly agreed upon by European ambassadors last night after Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, apparently informed them the UK would need to 'fundamentally amend its position'.

Downing Street had previously suggested that the proposed legal text submitted to the European Commission on Wednesday this week represented the UK's 'final offer'.

But the response in private from Mr Barnier and the move by the ambassadors suggests Mr Johnson may have to reconsider that stance if he is to avoid a No Deal split or a Brexit delay on Halloween.

Mr Johnson was given a domestic Brexit boost yesterday as a number of MPs who had previously voted against Theresa May's draft divorce deal signalled they were willing to back his draft accord.

But the fate of the PM's plans currently rests entirely in the hands of the EU.

If the bloc decides that they can form the basis of a new deal then the two sides will be able to enter into frantic negotiations ahead of the EU summit later this month.

If Brussels rejects the plans out of hand then the PM will be left with relatively few options.

What is Boris Johnson's five-point plan to scrap the Irish backstop? Single market Northern Ireland would leave the Customs' Union with the rest of the UK but stay in the single market. This would constitute an 'all island regulatory zone' that covers trade of all goods. It would mean no checks between the two nations, because Northern Ireland would still have to follow EU rules. Goods from Britain to Northern Ireland would effectively be managed by a border in the Irish Sea, with checks only in that direction, not the reverse. Stormont Lock The 'all island regulatory zone' will have to be approved by the people of Northern Ireland. This means the Northern Ireland Assembly has the right to veto the zone and could hold a referendum on the matter. Customs checks Customs checks would have to be put in place on trade between Northern and the Republic of Ireland. Most checks would be made using technology, but some would still have to be physical. Cash for Northern Ireland A promise of a 'new deal for Northern Ireland' means ministers putting money aside for Belfast and Dublin to help aide economic development and ensure new measures work. Keeping to the Good Friday agreement Freedom of movement between two countries will remain. New deal would confirm commitment to collobaration between UK and Ireland. Advertisement

The bloc's pessimism over the terms proposed by Mr Johnson was summed up by Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, who said yesterday that he remained 'open' to considering them but was 'still unconvinced'.

Meanwhile, Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, was even stronger in his suggestions that he did not believe the plans would be acceptable as he sparked fury by claiming British voters were being taken out of the EU against their will.

Downing Street will be waiting for a formal response from the EU, expected in the next few days, before deciding what to do next.

But the decision by ambassadors, reported by The Times, to give the PM a one week ultimatum is unlikely to go down well given that the UK has only just submitted its fresh offer.

One ambassador said: 'We will have to make a judgment call at the end of next week with regard to deciding if it's possible to have a deal in time for the European Council on October 17.'

Mr Johnson's plan is not yet on life support but the path to agreeing a new deal appears to be fraught with difficulty.

The PM has been hitting the phone in recent days to try to persuade EU leaders to at least entertain what he is proposing.

There had been rumours that he could travel to Berlin today for talks with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, but that is apparently not happening.

Instead, Mr Johnson is expected to engage in shuttle diplomacy at the start of next week.

However, it is not yet clear exactly when and where he will be going but it is thought the German capital will be at the top of the list.

If Mr Johnson is able to win the EU's backing for his plan, then attention will turn to whether the PM can secure a Commons majority for his proposed way forward.

The government is bullish on the PM's chances of being able to get his deal through after the DUP and hardline Tory Brexiteers suggested they would back it.

But success or failure is likely to hinge on whether Mr Johnson can win the support of at least a handful of Labour MPs.

Meanwhile, despite uncertainty over Brexit, Brits are positive and optimistic about their opportunities in the future, new research has found.

Commissioned by Expo 2020 Dubai, and conducted by YouGov, the Global Optimism Outlook Survey tracked people’s priorities for the future, looking at sustainability, economic growth, technology, travel, and more.

More than 20,000 people across 23 countries were surveyed, broken down by geographic region, gender, employment, marital status, and income.

It found the overwhelming majority of Brits have faith in the ability of individuals and communities to shape a better future through greater collaboration.

Seventy six per cent of Brits see technological advances and inventions as critical to building communities around the world.

And fifty-nine per cent think greater collaboration across borders and cultures will be effective in unlocking opportunity in the future.