In all areas, the UK continues to backtrack.

The European Union argues that we should be subject to rules of the club that we have left.

The precondition is the level playing field.

We can deliver a real Brexit that achieves our objectives.

But if there is not a deal, we still need the Irish protocol or the Northern Irish protocol fully implemented.

I'm going to miss being the pantomime villain. Hello. protocol or the Northern Irish protocol fully implemented.

I'm going to miss being the pantomime villain.

Hello and welcome to Brexit Republic, RTE's podcast on Brexit.

I'm Tony Connolly, RTE's Europe editor, normally in Brussels but currently in Copenhagen.

I'm Sean Whelham, RTE's correspondent in London.

And I'm Colum Ongoingh, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor in Dublin.

Each week, Brexit Republic assesses all the latest Brexit developments in Dublin, London and Brussels.

So we're kind of doing it on the hoof this week, Tony.

You are in an airport in Copenhagen where under so much pressure we're not getting our usual tightly scripted intro together this week but just give us a flavor

of what's coming up later in the podcast an interesting interview that you did last night yeah a lot

a lot happening this week column and sean on on the northern island protocol on brexit in general so the protocol, there's been a lot of tension raising over Article 16,

the prospect of the UK triggering that.

There's been a lot of froth over fish.

And I've been speaking to Alexandra Hall Hall,

who was Brexit councillor in the British Embassy in Washington.

Then she resigned, so we'll be hearing lots about that later.

Okay. Sean, in true alliterative terms, what sums up what we're looking at this week?

...