The Irish Tanaiste met with Sinn Fein Finance Minister Conor Murphy on Wednesday evening and will hold talks with DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson on Thursday (today). The Northern Ireland Protocol will be a hot topic of discussion, which was part of the divorce deal between the UK and EU that effectively keeps the region in the bloc's single market for goods. Checks on some goods sent from Britain into the single market have therefore been made and often result in prohibitions on certain products that do not comply with EU rules.

       The much-criticised mechanism was implemented to ensure there would be no hard border with Ireland, but it has instead triggered a number of problems as it has effectively placed a trade barrier in the Irish Sea that has proved to be hugely unpopular with unionists.

       But Mr Varadkar has come under attack from fierce political rival Sir Jeffrey, who claimed it was actually the former Prime Minister who insisted on such arrangements with the EU.

       The DUP leader raged: "A fresh visit from Leo Varadkar to Northern Ireland will be meaningless unless he comes with a fresh approach.

       "He has championed a protocol which fundamentally undermines the Belfast Agreement and he has dismissed economic and constitutional concerns with patronising comments about the colour of our post boxes.

       "It was Leo Varadkar as the then Taoiseach who insisted on such arrangements with fellow EU leaders.

       "If the Irish Sea border remains, then Mr Varadkar will return as Taoiseach with a legacy of relations between Northern Ireland and the Republic fundamentally undermined and political progress in Northern Ireland reversed."

       Sir Jeffrey added: "Mr Varadkar faces a choice. He can continue with the rhetoric of recent years and watch those events unfold or he can adopt a new spirit of positive co-operation.

       "Arrangements which respect both the EU single market and Northern Ireland's place within the UK internal market are not just achievable but would deliver on the promise of protecting the Belfast Agreement."

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       8.05am update: Absurd! EU to spark fresh 'nightmare' as bloc ignores UK offer on tense Brexit border row

       A Brexit spat erupted last night after the EU said it would press ahead with a solution the UK downplayed earlier this summer to resolve a tense border row.

       The European Commission is currently preparing a plan to ensure the continued long-term supply of medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland from next year under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

       But despite the UK Government’s objections to the suggestion, Eurocrats are working on a legislative proposal for the European Council and the European Parliament to consider.

       The plan would involve regulatory compliance functions, such as quality control tests for new medicines destined solely for the Northern Ireland market to be permanently conducted in the UK.

       This would be instead of requiring companies to set up these procedures in Northern Ireland or the EU after existing grace periods expire in December 2021.

       But Brussels says the UK Government would have to put specific safeguards in place to ensure those products did not go beyond Northern Ireland into the EU’s internal market.

       UK ministers would also have to fully apply EU medicines legislation on quality, safety, and batch testing and release when approving goods for use in Northern Ireland.

       The Commission said last night the proposed solution would be “on the basis of a clear commitment from the UK to put in place the safeguards.”

       7.45am update: Chart obliterates Remainer myths – Two EU states suffering supply chain chaos

       Outrageous claims by moaning europhiles that Britain's recent supply chain woes have been caused by Brexit have been sensationally rubbished by an economist.

       Independent economist Julian Jessop highlighted a chart which showed that the Netherlands and Denmark have been hit much worse with supply issues despite both being EU members.

       Mr Jessop went on to claim that there was "little difference" between the US and UK because "both economies have bounced back relatively quickly and therefore first to hit the buffers".

       The former Chief Economist and current economics fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs went tweeted that Brexit was not to blame.

       He was responding to a graph tweeted by financial journalist Andy Bruce which revealed how badly different nations had been affected by supply shortages.

       He added: "Here's the supplier delivery times index from every August manufacturing PMI (so far).

       "Danish, Dutch and UK manufacturers most affected by delays, which probably makes sense for their own respective reasons."

       Mr Jessop, who previously said that Brexit was used as a "scapegoat", responded are manic Remoaners insisted the shortages were down to red tape imposed after the Brexit withdrawal ended in January.

       Numerous members of the liberal elite had gleefully "bemoaned" the lack of supplies - pointing the finger firmly at Boris Johnson for daring to honour the democratic will of the people and take the UK out of their cherished bloc.

       While it is undeniable that there have been issues, Mr Jessop has repeatedly pointed out that blaming everything solely on Brexit is wrong.