Allister relieved that deal failure '˜protects integrity of UK'

TUV leader Mr Allister said: “What was on offer today would not just have been a bad deal but destructive of the integrity of the United Kingdom.

“The suggestion of ‘regulatory alignment’ for part of the United Kingdom with the EU single market and customs union would have delivered a border at the Irish Sea.

“Such is a defining issue for the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom and, therefore, could never be acceptable.”

Mr Allister added: “It would also destroy our primary economic links and prosperity in circumstances where 87% of Northern Ireland sales are within the United Kingdom.

“Thus, anyone with the interests of Northern Ireland at heart could not do other than take a firm stand against such betrayal.”

However, both Sinn Fein and the SDLP said it is vitally important that Northern Ireland had a special status.

Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson said: “We cannot have a situation where a minority are allowed to trample over the rights of the majority in the north who voted to remain in the EU.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the DUP must “move to act in Northern Ireland’s interest, not simply serve the their own interests,” and added: “For months, the SDLP has been making the case that the only way to avoid a hard border and a hard Brexit on the island of Ireland is to maintain membership of the single market and the customs union.”