The Irish prime minister has called for both sides to “dial down the rhetoric” ahead of crisis talks in London between the European commission’s vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, and Michael Gove, as tensions escalate over problems in Northern Ireland. Amid mounting anger in some EU capitals at UK demands for an early reset, Micheál Martinsaid there were “elements the British government could sort out, but likewise on the European side, I would say some member states need to cool it as well.”