Boris Johnson tries to reassure on Brexit as pound slumps

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was visiting Wales on Tuesday as part of a national tour intended to reassure Britons that his hard-Brexit push won't hurt the economy and rip apart the UK.

He faces a tough reception from farmers a group central to the Welsh economy who fear economic havoc if Britain leaves the European Union without a divorce deal. They say millions of sheep might have to be slaughtered if tariffs are slapped on lamb exports to the EU.

Johnson's office argues that leaving the 28-nation bloc and its rules-bound Common Agricultural Policy will be "a historic opportunity to introduce new schemes to support farming" and will open up new markets for UK agricultural exports.

The trip follows a visit Monday to Scotland, where Johnson was booed by protesters and warned by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that his vow to take Britain out of the EU on October 31, with or without a deal, was "dangerous."