Ireland's Coveney: Ratification of Withdrawal Agreement is only way to ensure orderly Brexit

Ireland's foreign minister, Simon Coveney, crossed the wires in the last minutes reiterating that the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement was the only way to ensure an orderly Brexit. "Abolition of the backstop is something that we can't and won't support," Coveney added.

Commenting on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to suspend parliament longer than normal, Ireland's finance minister,  Paschal Donohoe,  earlier in the hour said developments in London would now lead to a change in Ireland's position on the backstop.

Meanwhile, the GBP/USD pair is trading at 1.2215, losing 0.58% on the day.