Theresa May wages frantic telephone diplomacy between Belfast and Dublin in a bid to save a Brexit divorce bill

THERESA May yesterday waged frantic telephone diplomacy between Belfast and Dublin in a bid to save a Brexit divorce bill this year.

The PM spoke to the Irish Premier as well as the DUP’s leader Arlene Foster as time ran down to repair an agreement over the border stand off before next week’s crunch summit of EU leaders.

But there was little sign last night that either side was willing to give way.

Instead, they continued to wage attacks over what the enraged Ulster unionists see as an attempt by the Taoiseach to bounce them into having to continually accept EU rules.

After Ms Foster told the PM there is “still a lot of work to be done”, one senior DUP figure told The Sun that there will be “no deal this week”.

The source added: “We won’t be bounced into anything. We’re going to slow it all down.

“This is a battle of who blinks first, and we’ve cut off our eyelids.”

But Ireland boss Leo Varadkar told Mrs May that he will not climb down from “the firm Irish position” of demanding a practical solution for no hard border after Brexit.

Mr Varadkar also said he is ready to delay a deal and the start of trade talks until next year – a move that would panic business.

He insisted: “Iif it is not possible to move to phase two next week because of the problems that have arisen, well then we can pick it up of course in the New Year”.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds hit back at Mr Varadkar to warn he is “playing a dangerous game”.

Mr Dodds added: “The Irish Republic would suffer far worse economically from no trade deal than the United Kingdom”.

No10 said Mrs May told the Taoiseach she is still “working hard to find a specific solution to the unique circumstances in Northern Ireland”.

But the PM’s official spokesman added: “We want to make progress as soon as possible”.

It also emerged last night that EU boss Jean-Claude Juncker is ready to rip up his “deadline of deadlines” of tomorrow to declare sufficient progress for trade talks to begin.

An EU official said: “It’s a highly difficult situation for Theresa May and he wants to help her. It’s important that he supports her in everything he does”.

Former Tory Chancellor and Leave backer Lord Lamont told BBC Radio 5 live that the Brexit task facing Mrs May is “hideously complicated”.

He added: “If you spill out too much detail, or if you tell too many people too much of the detail, you then find yourself boxed into a corner.

“I have always expected that there would be dramas and possible breakdowns, walkouts.”