Leo: We’re all out of border chat

THERESA May sat down last night for dinner with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar – but he took brexit off the menu before she had even landed in Dublin.

He said while the meal presented an opportunity to “share perspectives” on the withdrawal, the negotiations “can only be between the European Union and the United Kingdom”. Mrs May hoped to thrash out proposals to overhaul the backstop – the insurance policy to avoid a hard border between the North and the Republic in the event of no-deal brexit.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Varadkar said: “Time is running short. We’re going to have to get this deal over the line and I’m determined to do that.”