‘Deal to avoid hard border will stay’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is refusing to budge on a crucial deal for a frictionless border and special status for the North after unionists slammed the brakes on the planned EU-UK Brexit agreement.

Mr Varadkar took the stance despite British prime minister Theresa May being forced to backtrack on the agreement by the DUP, which last night told the Irish Examiner it is willing to collapse the Conservative minority government unless its views are heard.

The surprise intervention by the unionists has stalled agreement to align the North’s regulations with Ireland, a policy which would have effectively avoided a hard border.