The Brexit Secretary is trying to “strong-arm” the EU into giving ground on the protocol - in a move reminiscent of the tactics employed by Boris Johnson before he signed the withdrawal agreement in 2019, Peter Foster said.

       The Financial Times journalist tweeted: "UK foot-dragging on the East-West border is one thing; seeking to crowbar more easements out of Brussels another...but if the gameplan is to go back to diplomatic strong-arm tactics and bet Brussels won't bite, that's a huge gamble. Because it touches a central EU nerve."

       He went on to claim that "in some ways, we are back to that era in 2019 when Lord Frost was advising Mr Johnson to stand firm on the tech border question, betting that Angela Merkel/Berlin would get the Irish to cave in".

       He said that when the German Chancellor called the Prime Minister and "disabused him of this" he signed the withdrawal agreement which led to the current Northern Ireland Protocol.

       THIS IS A LIVE BLOG, FOLLOW BELOW FOR THE LATEST UPDATES: