UNSCHEDULED talks between the UK’s Brexit Secretary and the European Union’s chief negotiator have failed to resolve key issues including the Irish border question.

The negotiations between Dominic Raab and Michel Barnier came amid speculation officials had reached a deal.

But after an hour-long discussison, and “despite intense efforts” according to Barnier, there had been a failure to reach agreement on one of the trickiest aspects of the negotiations.

Followin the meeting, Barnier said that “some key issues are still open”, including the so-called backstop measure to prevent a hard border.

He said he would debrief the 27 remaining EU states and the European Parliament on the state of the negotiations.

The surprise announcement of the meeting fuelled rumours a deal was set to be done ahead of a summit of EU leaders on Wednesday, at which the terms of the withdrawal agreement were originally supposed to be agreed.

However, amid that speculation a senior UK source played down that a deal had been reached.

“It’s very much in the EU’s interests to make it look like there is a deal,” the source said, because it would then leave the UK looking “like we are the ones being intransigent”.

Ambassadors from the remaining 27 EU states were also invited to attend an update on the Brexit talks, according to reports from Brussels.

The issue of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland is one of the last remaining obstacles to the UK achieving a withdrawal deal with Brussels.The EU’s version, which would see just Northern Ireland remain aligned with Brussels’ rules, has been called unacceptable by May and is rejected by the DUP.

May’s counter-proposal is for a “temporary customs arrangement” for the whole UK, but Tory Brexiteers are suspicious this could turn into a permanent situation, restricting the freedom to strike trade deals around the world.

The Prime Minister faces a potential Tory mutiny and any deal could also have major repercussions for her pact with the DUP.

Speaking from his country residence in Kent yesterday aroun the time news of the last-minute talks broke, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “I think what we’re reading is that we’ve made a lot of progress. There are still some big issues to settle.”

Hunt said he spoke with eight European counterparts about Brexit during a reception he gave yesterday and there was a “huge desire to resolve these issues”, adding: “People want to end up with a relationship where Britain and Europe are friends and that’s really what we are all working very hard to try to achieve.”

Against the threats of a Cabinet revolt, Hunt was asked if the Prime Minister should rethink her strategy, particularly involving discussions on the Irish border. He said: “Theresa May has been absolutely clear she would not sign up to indefinite membership of a customs union so what we need to do is find a backstop solution that respects her commitment to be leaving the customs union but also satisfies Irish concerns that we would never return to the Troubles.”

Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon will today set out a “common sense” alternative to the UK Government’s Brexit plans in a new Scottish Government paper.

The publication will reinforce the case for continued membership of the single market and customs union. It will also argue the UK Government’s “false choice” between a “bad, possibly blindfold” Brexit deal and a no-deal scenario should not be accepted.

Speaking in advance of a speech in London, she said: “As things stand, we still have no guarantee of a transition agreement or a detailed proposition setting out the future trading relationship between the UK and EU.”