Britain sought to calm a row with the EU over Northern Ireland today, playing down the risk of unilateral action to scrape hated goods checks.
Brexit Minister Lord Frost is due to meet his Brussels counterpart Maros Sefcovic in London today and tell him the UK wants a deal to solve the post-Brexit impasse.
The two sides are at loggerheads over the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit agreement, which seeks to avoid a hard customs border on the island of Ireland by introducing one for goods crossing from Britain to Ulster.
Boris Johnson has threatened to unilaterally halt the checks using Article 16 of the protocol, amid fury from the unionist community and complaints that checks are hitting business.
But that sparked warnings from Brussels that it would retaliate, potentially throttling trade with the continent ahead of Christmas.
European Commission vice-president Mr Sefcovic told a private meeting of MEPs that there will be no breakthrough without a direct intervention from the Prime Minister.
A Whitehall source told the Times today that using Article 16 was not a foregone concluding, saying; 'Triggering Article 16 does not solve the problems we face. Even if we were to do it, eventually we'd still have to get back round the table.'
It came as Irish minister for European affairs Thomas Byrne warned the UK that a 'tough guy' approach when it comes to Northern Ireland will lead to 'disaster'.
Brexit Minister Lord Frost is due to meet his Brussels counterpart Maros Sefcovic in London today and tell him the UK wants a deal to solve the post=Brexit impasse.
European Commission vice-president Mr Sefcovic told a private meeting of MEPs that there will be no breakthrough without a direct intervention from the Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson has threatened to unilaterally halt the checks using Article 16 of the protocol, amid fury from the unionist community and complaints that they are hitting business.
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if there is a serious danger of a full-scale trade war, Mr Byrne said: 'There is a serious danger of complete instability in Northern Ireland and that's what motivates the Irish Government in all of
