Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar have clashed over the Irish backstop in their first phone call, with the Irish taoiseach saying the EU is united in the view that it cannot be scrapped and the withdrawal agreement will not be reopened.
Johnson finally spoke to Varadkar almost a week after becoming prime minister, telling him the UK would never put physical checks or infrastructure at the border with Northern Ireland after Brexit but demanding the backstop be scrapped.
The British prime minister had been accused of snubbing Varadkar by leaving it so long to speak to him, even though the Irish leader will be central to whether he can agree a new withdrawal deal with the EU.
A spokesman for Varadkar said: “The taoiseach emphasised to the prime minister that the backstop was necessary as a consequence of decisions taken in the UK and by the UK government. » | Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | Tuesday, July 30, 2019
