Theresa May has said some of the options available to the UK after the latest round of Brexit negotiations are unworkable and unacceptable.
She said options that would result in a hard border in Northern Ireland would be a bad deal, as it would "divide the country" and fail to respect the referendum outcome.
She described that as "something no British prime minister would ever agree to", adding: "Anything which fails to respect the referendum or divides our country would be a bad deal. And no deal is better than a bad deal."
She once again promoted the alternative of a high-tech 'frictionless' trade set-up which would allow free movement of freight between southern Ireland, which is in the EU, and Northern Ireland, which would not be.
And she rounded again on EU leaders who dismissed the UK's proposals at this week's summit, adding: "Neither side should demand the unacceptable of the other.
"We cannot accept anything that does not respect the outcome of the referendum."
She added: "At this late stage it's simply not acceptable to reject the other side's proposals without detailed negotiations."
And she warned: "In mean time we must and will continue the work of preparing ourselves for no deal."
