Liz Truss could make an early visit to the Republic of Ireland to broker some kind of progress in the impasse over post-Brexit arrangements if she becomes prime minister next week, according to reports.
The Sunday Times said that civil servants have been tasked with arranging a visit to Dublin to meet Irish premier Micheal Martin.
According to the newspaper, Ms Truss would try to “come to an understanding” on the future of the Northern Ireland protocol.
Hints of a potential visit come as Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns and European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič met at the British-Irish Association conference in Oxford on Saturday, with Mr Burns raising the suggestion of future Brexit talks.
As reported in the Guardian, Mr Burns said at the meeting: “In light of today, I will certainly send advice to them and that advice will be that I think there could well be the appetite to have another go of this.”
The EU and the UK remain deadlocked over the protocol, with the government pushing ahead with its controversial Bill to give ministers powers to scrap the checks on Irish Sea trade.
The agreement, which was agreed between the EU and the British government in order to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, is fiercely opposed by unionists in Northern Ireland who say it cuts off the region from the rest of the UK.
The row over the protocol has upended politics in Northern Ireland, which is currently without a functioning government despite elections being held in May.
According to the Sunday Times, Ms Truss’s team sees a window for talks before Mr Martin leaves office in December, as part of a coalition agreement between the governing parties of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
Fine Gael leader and former taoiseach Leo Varadkar is in line to replace Mr Martin.
On Saturday, Mr Martin used a speech at the British-Irish Association conference to warn that unilateral action over the Northern Ireland Protocol is “testing and fraying” the partnership between Britain and Ireland, but said that he wants to work with the next prime minister in an “open and constructive way”.
Mr Martin continued: “Unilateralism does not work. It fosters suspicion and distrust. We believe there is an opportunity with the election of a new prime minister to create a window of opportunity for a new spirit that will allow for negotiations.”
Northern Ireland secretary Shailesh Vara, who also spoke at the conference, said that “there are real issues with how the protocol is currently operating.”
Mr Vara continued: “We are determined to fix those problems, through negotiation and agreement with the EU if at all possible, and thus to deliver stability for businesses and citizens across Northern Ireland. But with legislation if we cannot.
“We need to get back to finding some common understanding and a relationship of trust between friends and neighbours with a spirit of good intent and a willingness to make things better.”
