German coalition agreement includes commitment to ensuring that the Northern Ireland protocol is implemented and the Belfast Agreement is protected Backs retaliatory action if Britain does not fulfil its commitments under the agreement

After his meeting with Boris Johnson, Leo Varadkar said it should not be seen in terms of concessions or of winners and losers. He is probably right. For the Irish side to suggest to Michel Barnier that the talks produced the basis for renewed negotiations between the UK and the EU, there must have been progress on the toughest issue - customs.