UK's Johnson promises Irish PM no physical border checks

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised Ireland's Leo Varadkar on Tuesday there would be no physical checks on the border between their two countries after Brexit, a spokeswoman said.

But in their first phone call since he took office, Johnson repeated that the current "backstop" plan to keep the frontier open, which is included in the EU's draft divorce deal, was unacceptable.

"On Brexit, the prime minister made clear that the UK will be leaving the EU on October 31, no matter what," a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

"He said that in all scenarios, the government will be steadfast in its commitment to the Belfast Agreement and will never put physical checks or physical infrastructure on the border."