Conservative minister Steve Baker has said he is “really sorry” to the EU for “not always behaving” in a way that did not foster trust.
Northern Ireland minister in Liz Truss’s government, Mr Baker said he wanted to show “humility” about the way he and other Brexiteers had behaved during Brexit negotiations.
The former leader of the Tory European Research Group (ERG) also apologised to the Republic of Ireland, and said relations with the Irish government “are not where they should be”.
Mr Baker revealed that he told Irish minsters at a mourning event for the Queen that he was “sorry we did not always respect your legitimate interests”.
The Brexiteer said: “As one of the people who perhaps acted with the most ferocious determination to get the UK out of the EU, I think we have to bring some humility to this situation.”
He added: “It’s with humility I want to accept and acknowledge that I and others did not always behave in a way that encouraged Ireland, the European Union and others to trust us to accept they have legitimate interests.”
The Northern Ireland minister said he felt the “ice thawing” over the Northern Ireland Protocol row, after foreign secretary James Cleverly embarked on new talks with EU negotiator Maros Sefocovic in resolving.
But Mr Baker also said that while there is “humility” on the part of Truss government, no-one should underestimate its “resolve” in seeing protocol checks dropped.
He told the conference: “It is not acceptable that Northern Ireland is so separate to GB right now under the protocol … So, we are resolute in getting change.”
Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris told the Tory conference he had “learnt a lot in the last few years”.
Giving the examples of the common travel area, as well as the common energy market between Northern Ireland and the Republic, he said: “I understand the complications. Maybe we could have understood them a bit better sooner.”
UK and EU officials will “meet soon” following a call on Friday between the Mr Cleverly and Mr Sefcovic to discuss the protocol.
Talks stalled months after the government angered the EU with plans to rip up swathes of the protocol through unilateral legislation.
Mr Sefcovic called it a “good conversation”, adding: “Both sides agree to look for solutions around the Protocol, to bring predictability and certainty to people in Northern Ireland.”
Mr Cleverly, who has only been in the role a matter of weeks, offered similarly warm words after the call, which is understood to have included discussions about both the protocol and other issues.
Irish premier Micheal Martin said that he believes there is a “genuine willingness” on all sides to resolve the dispute around the protocol.
Despite the change in mood music, there is a deadline looming in Northern Ireland, where there is still no sitting power-sharing executive after the DUP withdrew in protest at the protocol.
Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris says he will have no choice but to order a pre-Christmas election if an executive is not formed by 28 October.
