Talks continued in Brussels last month on Northern Ireland and other separation issues. European Council President Donald Tusk said that if agreement on how a hard border can be avoided on the island of Ireland is not reached, “there will be no withdrawal agreement and no transition”.

EU leaders had agreed to a 21 month transition period to 31 December 2020 where the UK will continue to follow EU rules and stay within the Single Market and Customs Union. However this is dependent on agreement being reached on the Irish border issue.

Back in December 2017, the EU and UK broadly agreed that there were three possible ways to keep the border open; a comprehensive trade agreement, special arrangements involving technology and unique customs arrangements or a “back stop” idea which would see Northern Ireland remain within the Single Market and Customs Union.

The UK have said that it wants the whole of the UK to leave the Single Market and Customs Union have therefore not fully agreed to the EU version of the back stop but have not come up with an alternative suggestion.