You're listening to BBC Scotland.

Hi, you're listening to Podlitical BBC Scotland's podcast that gives you an inside look at the biggest stories coming out of Hollywood and Westminster.

And if you can hear a buzz this week, that's because we're also in very busy Brussels.

It's about 12 minutes past one on Thursday the 18th of October.

I'm Lucy White, a journalist based in the Glasgow Newsroom.

And I'm joined by, let's go to Nick first because that can explain why we're hearing that background noise.

Nick, where are you this week?

Well, I'm normally in Westminster, but this week I'm in Brussels at the European Council meeting.

I'm also joined by Annie in the studio with me. Hello, Annie.

Yes, I'm Annie McGuire. I'm the social media editor for question time and I'm right here in Glasgow next to you, Lucy. And as if to contrast the buzzy, buzzy Brussels with the absolutely empty

Hollywood, Phil, you're pretty much on your

own this week, aren't you? Yep, I'm Phil Sim,

I'm coming in from the Scottish Parliament, which is

completely deserted because it's recess.

So it's kind of just me,

and a broken door, which is beeping, and has

been for three days. So from one extreme

to the other. So

Anne Miles, as always, is our producer behind the glass. He's fact-checking, keeping us right

and frantically pointing at his watch while we just keep chatting. So this week, of course,

we're going to be discussing all things Brexit. It's unavoidable. We'll also going to have a special

guest this week who's going to help us explain the Northern Irish backstop, which keeps coming up time and time again and is very, very complicated.

...