This is Spectator Radio. If you'd like to subscribe to The Spectator, you can get 12 issues for £12

£12, as well as a £20 £20,000, Amazon voucher. Just go to spectator.com.com. Hello and welcome to

Coffee House Shots, the Spectator's Daily podcast. I'm Katie Balls and I'm joined by Fraser Nelson and James

Forsyfe. So is a Tory Labour Brexit deal in sight? The weekend papers have been filled with

speculation that number 10 are about to make their move and try and agree some form of

customs arrangement, just don't call it a customs union, with Jeremy Corbyn. James, can you see white smoke coming up from Downing Street when the two sides meet this afternoon?

So there is more optimism on the Downing Street side of things than there has been previously because they look at the local election results and what they were wondering is what was the pressure on Labour to do a deal.

And they think these results that show Labour, doing badly in the

North, losing councillors because of its position on Brexit in some places, helps put

pressure on Labour to do a deal. And almost more importantly, strengthens the hand of those

within the Labour Party who would like to get Brexit over the line against the kind of second

referendum crowd. I think the other

thing the government are doing is essentially offering labour more and more to try and make it harder

for Labour to say why they can't do the deal. As I understand it's kind of compromise being outlined is

there'd be a separate bill that would basically put the UK to remain

in what is called dynamic alignment with the EU on workers' rights. That would mean that if the EU

did anything to change the condition of workers' rights, the UK would then follow suit. That's a

big labour ask. The second thing is this customs proposal. And what number 10 are hoping that they can get agreement to is a customs arrangement

that would essentially be virtually the same as the customs union.

But as you said, you know, there's a rose by any other name, smell as foul.

And then optionality about the future.

So you would try and put into law the Tory option and the Labour option and put them into the political declaration.

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