Dominic Raab yesterday provoked a row with Dublin by claiming that the Irish prime minister had briefed “falsehoods” from a confidential meeting.

Mr Raab, the former Brexit secretary, told MPs that Leo Varadkar was the source for newspaper articles last October that claimed he had proposed a three-month time-limited backstop. It was claimed that Mr Raab made the proposal during a private meeting with Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign minister.

Mr Raab told the Commons Northern Ireland select committee yesterday that the details were leaked by Mr Varadkar “in terms that were not factually accurate”. A spokesman for Mr Varadkar said there was no basis for this allegation and called on Mr Raab to produce any evidence “if he has it”.

Mr Coveney’s spokesman described