A Brexiteer waves the Union flag as he demonstrates outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, central London on Thursday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought Thursday to blame the opposition Labour leader for his failure to deliver Brexit, as both men stepped up campaigning on the day Britain had been due to leave the EU. Photo: AFP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday apologized for not taking Britain out of the European Union by October 31, saying he was "deeply, deeply disappointed."

"It is a matter of deep regret," Johnson told Sky News, before criticizing Donald Trump after the US president said the prime minister's deal struck with Brussels would prevent a future Britain/US trade agreement. "I don't wish to cast any aspersions on the president but in that respect he is patently in error."  

"Anybody who looks at our deal can see it is a great deal... it allows us to have full unfettered control of our tariff schedule."

Trump on Thursday told friend Nigel Farage, who will be up against Johnson in the December 12 election, that "under certain aspects of the deal - you can't do it, you can't trade."

Johnson had vowed he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than tolerate another extension to the tortuous Brexit process. On Sunday he blamed Britain's failure to leave as scheduled on October 31 on parliament passing what he called the "Surrender Act." 

This demanded that the government ask for, and accept, a delay from the EU rather than leaving without the deal being ratified. MPs gave provisional support for his deal, but derailed Johnson's plans to get the bill through parliament before the deadline day, leading him to push for the December 12 vote to break the impasse.