UK PM candidate Javid says he will not back a second referendum

British interior minister Sajid Javid, who is running in the leadership race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, said he will not back a second referendum on Brexit.

This was to convince the European union that Britain was serious about leaving on Oct 31 if he succeeds Theresa May as Prime Minister.

"This would also show the EU we are ready - so when we turn up to negotiate, they know we are not afraid of walking out," he wrote in a column for Saturday's Daily Mail newspaper.

Javid also said he will not back a second referundum on Brexit, and would be prepared to pay Ireland's costs for the technology needed to avoid a hard border with the British province of Northern Ireland.

"It's a small price to avoid 'no deal' - and the risks that would bring to the hard-won peace," he said.