The Vice President of the European Commission was asked by Andrew Marr: "Lord Frost has given this morning a fairly straightforward-sounding answer to what he thinks the solution could be. Is there anything in it which you disagree with?" Lord Frost had said there was "momentum" for his Government to "secure a solution based on consensus" following a meeting in Brussels with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic on Friday.

       Speaking to the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Sefcovic said: "I think that what was very important in Lord Frost's article was the word of urgency.

       "Sometimes I have the feeling that in our meetings I'm the only one pushing for urgent solutions.

       "We're the only one tabling proposals."

       He continued: "I remember very well that Lord Frost is very important to him is not only content but process and therefore I was waiting on whether we can deliver on that jointly.

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       "I have to say this is not the case today."

       The BBC presenter continued: "That proposal from Lord Frost seems to a lot of people to be relatively straightforward.

       "I just wonder what you could possibly object to and if you still think that he is not negotiating sincerely?

       "At the beginning of the month, you suggested the British side were not sincere in their negotiations, have you changed your mind about that?"

       Mr Sefcovic continued: "We had a change of tone in the discussions over the last week, which I really appreciate.

       "Also our discussion of these practical issues like for example medicines was more constructive than before.

       "So it's a decision of the UK Government.

       "We are doing everything possible to avoid it because of course, it will have serious consequences, first and foremost for the people in Northern Ireland but also for the EU/UK relations, and therefore I want to stay on this positive term."

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       It comes as campaigners gathered at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic on Saturday to warn the UK Government against triggering Article 16.

       A crowd gathered at Carrickcarnon to demand that the post-Brexit arrangements introduced for Northern Ireland are retained and protected, amid ongoing negotiations between the UK and the EU.

       Damian McGinty, from Border Communities Against Brexit, told the crowd that the majority of people in Northern Ireland opposed the UK's exit from the EU.

       "Don't forget, 56% voted to remain and we voted to remain in the EU and by any calculation that is a majority. And a majority also support the protocol, the DUP do not speak for us."