London | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ignited a flicker of hope he may be able to pull off an unlikely deal for a smooth Brexit, after a make-or-break meeting with his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar raised the possibility of a last-ditch accord.

After a 3½-hour meeting in a manor house near Liverpool late on Thursday (AEDT), the pair issued a statement agreeing that "they could see a pathway to a possible deal".