Liz Truss has vowed to rip up the Northern Ireland Brexit pact as the EU accuses her of failing to compromise in negotiations.
Ms Truss made clear that the UK's "overriding priority" is to protect peace and stability in Northern Ireland.Mr Sefcovic went on to say that ministers were trying to undermine the protocol, drawing attention to the fact that the Government had refused to use the word "implementation" in joint diplomatic texts since March last year.
According to the Foreign Office readout of the call, Mr Sefcovic insisted that there was "no room to expand the EU negotiating mandate or introduce new proposals to reduce the overall level of trade friction". Under its terms, the UK is required to impose checks on some goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in order to maintain an open border while protecting the EU single market.Picture: Alamy
But the move would risk provoking an all-out trade war with Brussels at a time when the whole country is struggling with the cost of living crisis.