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. protocol or the Northern Irish protocol fully implemented.

I'm going to miss being the pantomime villain.

Hello and welcome to Brexit Republic, RTEs podcast on Brexit.

I'm Tony Connolly, RTE's Europe editor in Brussels.

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

And I'm Cullam Ongoing, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor,

normally in Dublin, but at home on leave in Kildare this week.

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

This week, the trade negotiations have limped into the end game,

although there is no end in sight yet. But they've been eclipsed by some big events elsewhere.

Those events could have a strong bearing on both Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol. Joe Biden is in and Dominic Cummings is out.

We'll assess the office politics in Downing Street,

what difference, if any, Joe Biden might make,

and we look at those two phone calls he had with Boris Johnson and Mihal Martin.

And with less than 50 days to go to the 1st of January,

we'll uncover the grueling efforts to make the Northern Ireland protocol oven-ready and to make it as palatable as possible.

And talking of oven-ready,

...