Britain's plan to press ahead today with legislation that would break an earlier Brexit deal is a "negotiating tactic" which should not distract EU negotiators, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said yesterday.   

Britain's upper house of parliament last month voted to remove the controversial clauses from the Internal Market Bill, but the government intends to reinstate them in the lower chamber today, just as trade talks reach crunch time.

The British government has openly admitted that the clauses are a breach of international law.

London says the offending clauses are a "safety net" to prevent the EU from interpreting complex customs agreements between Ireland, an EU member, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, in a way that would limit internal UK trade.