THERESA May has made clear that no one wants to go back to “the borders of the past” as she pledged to find a practical solution to managing the UK's land border with the Irish Republic following Brexit.

On her first visit to Northern Ireland as premier, the Conservative leader had talks with its leaders Arlene Foster, the First Minister, who supported Leave, and Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Minister, who backed Remain. Like Scotland and London, the region voted in favour of staying in the EU.

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Highlighting the contrasting approaches of the main political parties, Mrs Foster, the DUP leader, said she welcomed the prospect of a UK-wide ministerial committee for Brexit and looked forward to “feeding in the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland into the process".

But Mr McGuinness for Sinn Fein struck a very different note, declaring: “There are no good opportunities flowing from Brexit and I made it clear to the British Prime Minister that the democratically expressed wishes of the people of the North, who see their future in Europe, who voted to remain in Europe, should be respected."

After holding talks at Belfast’s Stormont Castle, Mrs May said: "Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past.

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“What we do want to do is to find a way through this that is going to work and deliver a practical solution for everybody - as part of the work that we are doing to ensure that we make a success of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union - and that we come out of this with a deal which is in the best interests of the whole of the United Kingdom."

The PM noted how the Common Travel Area agreement between the UK and Irish Republic, which enables people to move unrestricted across the island, pre-dated the creation of the EU.

While the accord dates back to the 1920s, it has never been in operation when one country was inside the EU and one was not as both the UK and Ireland joined the European Community at the same time in early 1970s.

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After “very constructive” talks, Mrs May repeated her vow, made on the steps of Downing Street moments after taking office on July 13, that she would govern "for the whole of the United Kingdom, of which Northern Ireland is a valued part".

"Brexit means Brexit,” she declared, “but we will be making a success of it and I am clear that the Northern Ireland Executive and the other devolved governments will be involved in our discussions as we set forward the UK position."

The PM made her remarks during a brief media appearance after the meetings when only one pre-agreed question from the press was permitted by No 10 officials; it related to the border issue.

Her visit came as a report found consumers were feeling less confident about their jobs in the wake of the UK's decision to quit the EU.

The Deloitte Consumer Tracker said uncertainty surrounding the Brexit vote had taken its toll on employment confidence, which fell three points following the referendum result and six points compared to last year.

In a separate development, the TUC said workers' rights should be guaranteed before the UK Government triggered Article 50 to begin the process of Britain's divorce from Brussels.

The union organisation issued a series of tests that should be applied to make sure workers did not pay the price for Brexit.

It said jobs, industries and services at risk from leaving the EU should be protected and EU citizens working in this country must be guaranteed the right to remain.

"Working people must not be made to pay the price of the vote to leave the European Union,” declared Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary. “If we rush headlong into Brexit without a water-tight plan for jobs and industry, the living standards of working people will suffer,” she added.