Be more specific on post-Brexit relations, Varadker urges PM

After a working lunch in No 10, Leo Varadkar said Mrs May's decision to rule out a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland was "very important".

Mr Varadkar, the first EU leader to visit the PM since her keynote address in Florence last week in which she set out her hopes for a post-Brexit relationship with Brussels, also urged the DUP and Sinn Fein to find a solution to the deadlock over power-sharing.

"I have always encouraged the British government to be more specific about how they see the future relationship between Britain and Ireland and between the United Kingdom and the European Union," he said.