I think it's more likely that this is just another step in laying the ground for the Brexit negotiations. Johnson is setting up as many points of disagreement as he can do in order to give himself some negotiating leverage, regardless of whether or not any specific point would harm the UK by itself. He's raising the stakes, and it all comes down to whether or not the EU thinks he's bluffing, that he is actually willing to abandon all cooperation and let the UK live with a No-Deal Brexit.
So, does anyone think that in his political career he's demonstrated sufficient integrity and strength of purpose that he would stay on and deal with the consequences of a No-Deal Brexit until the next election in 2024, or is he more likely to resign in 2021 and say that he's resigning because he failed to get the cake-and-eat-it deal he promised?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
