Arlene Foster to meet Leo Varadkar for a private dinner in Dublin

By PA reporter

DUP leader Arlene Foster is meeting Leo Varadkar for a private dinner in Dublin this evening.

It is understood she will stress a desire for a strong relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to continue post-Brexit.

She will tell Mr Varadkar that she wants to see a deal that works for both jurisdictions.

It is understood Mrs Foster will seek to strike a conciliatory tone with Mr Varadkar after a year that has seen relations between the pair fray over Brexit.

On her visit to the Irish capital, Mrs Foster will also meet Micheal Martin, the leader of main opposition party Fianna Fail.

She also will meet a leading cardiologist to discuss a cross-border heart service that treats children from both sides of the border and visit St Patrick's Church of Ireland cathedral.

Page 2: 09:50

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said it was "frustrating and disappointing" that negotiators had "disengaged" but insisted that the temporary border backstop wanted by the UK was a non-starter.

Arriving in Brussels he said that Dublin and the EU simply wanted Theresa May to follow through with agreements already made in March and December.

He said: "A backstop can't be time-limited.

"That is new, it hasn't been there before. Nobody was suggesting in March that a backstop would be time-limited in terms of picking a date in the future as an endpoint for the backstop.

"The backstop will be there unless and until something else is agreed, but unless you have something to replace it well then the backstop needs to be there as an insurance mechanism.

"That is all we are asking for, that's all the Michel Barnier taskforce is also looking for now in terms of legal text."

Page 3: 15:52

The PM said there had been a "great deal of inaccurate speculation" about how the talks were progressing.

She told MPs "real progress" had been made on the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration on future relations.

Mrs May said progress had been made on Northern Ireland but two problems remain - the EU's demands over the Northern Ireland backstop and the need for a time limit.

Page 4: 16:02

Jeremy Corbyn urged Mrs May to "put the country before her party" and stand up to the "reckless voices" on the Conservative benches.

Amid heated scenes in the Commons, the Labour leader said: "For too long this country has been held hostage to those in her party who want to drive through a race to the bottom Brexit deal that lowers rights and standards, sells off our national assets to the lowest bidder.

"It is clear that the Prime Minister's failure to stand up to the warring factions of her own side have led to this impasse."

Page 5: 16:05

Mr Corbyn said Mrs May's "blindfold Brexit" was a "bridge to nowhere" and a "dangerous leap in the dark".

He added: "The choice for this Parliament should never be her deal or no deal: if this Government cannot get a good deal for this country then it has to make way for those who can.

"The Prime Minister faces a simple and inescapable choice: be buffeted this way and that way by the chaos of her own party, or back a deal that can win the support of Parliament and the people of this country."

Page 6: 16:10

Allie Renison, head of Europe and trade policy at the Institute of Directors (IoD), said: "We commend the Prime Minister for being frank and forthright about the remaining issues surrounding the Irish border backstop, as businesses are in desperate need of some long overdue clarity.

"The IoD has long supported a UK-wide dimension to the proposed backstop in order to address the concerns about additional barriers to trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

"We are heartened to see the Prime Minister pushing forward with this on customs arrangements and think the EU should be sensible enough to see the need for this.

"However, questions still remain about what the regulatory dimension to the backstop is in the Government's counter proposals, and we urge them to be clear about this.

"As companies themselves will bear the brunt of any changes, it is imperative that the views of business are fully taken into account on the practicalities of any backstop option."