Boris Johnson calls on EU leaders to ignore Irish border row and start Brexit trade talks immediately

BORIS JOHNSON today warned EU bosses not to get bogged down in the Irish border question as he urged them to sign off on the start of Brexit trade talks.

The Foreign Secretary said a final agreement on how to keep the border open will only be possible when negotiations are complete.

Mr Johnson has challenged Theresa May over her plans to align UK regulations with the EU, warning her that it would keep Britain too closely tied to Europe.

And speaking at a Nato meeting in Brussels today, Boris insisted the debate over the border should not stop Brexit talks proceeding to the next stage.

He said: “We will come up with a solution - but the important thing is that that solution can only be discovered in the context of discussions on the end-state of the UK's relations with the rest of the EU.

"We need to get on with those negotiations now, so all the more reason to get on with stage two of the negotiations.

"What I would say is that the best way to sort it out is to get on to the second phase of the negotiations, where all these difficult issues can be properly teased out, thrashed out and solved."

He added: "I think the important thing is that what we are going to do, as the Prime Minister has repeatedly said, is we are going to take back control of our borders, of our laws and UK cash contributions. That's the way forward."

European leaders have threatened to veto the start of trade talks if Mrs May cannot guarantee that the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will remain open after Brexit.

But the DUP has refused to approve a draft plan for the border because of fears it will cut off Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

Pro-Brexit Tories have also warned the PM they will oppose any deal which continues to tie Britain to rules made in Brussels.