The Chancellor is understood to have urged UK negotiators not to “blow up” discussions with the bloc on the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol before Christmas, the Telegraph reports. The intervention came as the UK appeared to cave on its demand that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is removed from arbitrating any future disputes relating to the Irish border.

       On Friday, the EU put forward proposals to assist the flow of medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and Lord Frost appeared to soften his stance and said there was room for an “interim agreement” on the outstanding issues pending a "comprehensive solution" being reached.

       The UK had previously threatened to trigger Article 16 and suspend the protocol by mid-November if its red lines were not adhered to.

       European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic reiterated the oversight of the ECJ was here to stay.

       He said: “Without the European Court of Justice we cannot have a properly functioning single market.”

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