Ireland will not stand in the way of Britain extending the Brexit March divorce date amid growing indications that Downing Street is considering pushing out the deadline, Tánaiste Simon Coveney has confirmed.

Large amounts of business investment is being postponed because of uncertainty over the outcome of Brexit negotiations so Britain should seek clarity as early as possible over a transition arrangement, according to chancellor Philip Hammond.

The leader of striking British Airways cabin crew made a fresh appeal today for talks to end their dispute, which he said had cost the airline tens of millions of pounds.