Brexit Secretary Raab demanded right to pull Britain out of backstop agreement for Irish border

British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has privately demanded the right to pull Britain out of a “backstop” arrangement for the Irish border after three months, the Telegraph reported on Sunday.

The hardline pitch by the Brexit Secretary to the Irish government early last week is understood to have “stunned” Irish officials and exposed the continued deep divisions in Cabinet over how to prosecute the Brexit talks.

Mr Raab’s proposal was put to the Irish deputy prime minister Simon Coveney in a private meeting in London last Tuesday, but three days later was apparently contradicted by David Lidington, the UK’s de facto deputy prime minister, on a visit to Dublin.

The divisions emerged as Theresa May’s top Brexit negotiator, Olly Robbins, prepares to go to Brussels to clinch an in-principle Brexit divorce deal this week, triggering an extraordinary EU leaders summit later this month in order to cement the deal.