Amid the impending threat to invoke Article 16, Anton Spisak, policy lead at the Tony Blair Institue, claimed the tactical decision could misfire. Although Lord Frost has insisted he will invoke Article 16 unless changes are made to the Northern Ireland protocol, Mr Spisak warned it could damage relations for the next few years.

       THIS BLOG IS CLOSED. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES.

       He said: "I worry that the consequence of this tactical decision is that it strategically backfires: tariffs on sensitive UK exports to EU; new legal disputes with the Commission lasting for years; UK-EU political relations hopelessly damaged least until mid-2020s; ditto UK-US relations."

       Brexit Britain could sign a bumper trade agreement with Australia as early as next week, the High Commissioner to the Commonwealth state has hinted.

       During a fringe event at the Tory party conference on Tuesday, George Brandis, claimed Dan Tehan, trade minister for the state could sign the agreement next week.

       Speaking at the event hosted by the Institue for Economic Affairs, he said: "We hope that the last outstanding issues will be nailed down then when he has the first face-to-face meeting with the new trade secretary."

       Brexit tensions are ramping up after Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen piled the pressure on Boris Johnson by insisting hated parts of the deal struck between the UK and the EU must remain unchanged.

       The US President spoke to the European Commission President at his own request for 30 minutes on Monday evening.

       Ms von der Leyen “thanked Biden for his clear words” on the importance of the Northern Ireland Protocol and repeated the EU's commitment to “seeking solutions without reopening” the agreed deal.

       Mr Biden has continuously warned the UK over its implementation of the trade mechanism, making clear it must not impact on the peace process in Northern Ireland.

       But the stance from the two leaders has sparked a furious reaction among Brexiteers.

       Reacting to our story, Express.co.uk reader RedT raged: "America under the Dems, are not our allies. Tell Biden to mind his own business."

       Another reader, lla ma dos, fumed: "EU and US are clearly in cahoots and trying to split the UK up.

       "Initiate Article 16 and look elsewhere for trade and military reliance."

       On Monday, Lord Frost told the audience at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester: "Without an agreed solution soon, we will need to act, using the Article 16 safeguard mechanism, to address the impact the protocol is having on Northern Ireland.

       "That may in the end be the only way to protect our country - our people, our trade, our territorial integrity, the peace process, and the benefits of this great UK of which we are all part."

       FOLLOW EXPRESS.CO.UK FOR LIVE UPDATES: