The leader of the Northern Irish party which backs Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government arrived for Brexit talks with the British leader on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Johnson said the talks will cover a range of issues including Brexit after Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said an Irish backstop would be unacceptable.
The backstop was part of the withdrawal agreement, rejected three times by the British parliament, aiming to ensure there was no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic after Britain leaves the European Union and before a new trade agreement was struck.
Foster arrived at Downing Street alongside deputy leader of the DUP Nigel Dodds as Brussels say that Johnson may need to go back to the idea of a so-called Northern Ireland-only backstop to get a Brexit deal done.
The Irish government has said in recent days that it has always been open to a Northern Ireland specific solution to the border, while the DUP objects to any arrangement that would treat Northern Ireland differently.