British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson told Cabinet colleagues that it will require a "significant amount of work" to strike a
Brexit deal with the
European Union, amid signs of progress in last-minute talks but also deep-seated skepticism about the chances of an agreement.
Britain is due to leave the 28-nation bloc on Oct. 31, and attempts to find a deal have foundered over plans for keeping an open border between EU member
Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland.
The challenge of maintaining an invisible border — something that underpinned both the local
economy and the region's peace deal — has dominated Brexit discussions for three years, ever since U.K. voters chose in 2016 to leave the EU.