Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab leaves Downing Steet, London, Britain, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

LONDON (Reuters) - The Brexit backstop designed to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and European Union member the republic of Ireland, must be finite, short and time-limited, Britain’s Brexit minister said on Friday.

“It would have to be finite, it would have to be short and it would have to be, I think, time-limited in order for it to be supported here,” said Dominic Raab.

“What we cannot do is see the United Kingdom locked in via the backdoor to a customs union arrangement which would leave us in an indefinite limbo - that would not be leaving the EU.”