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

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

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

And I'm Colm O'Mongayne, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor in Dublin.

Each week, Brexit Republic assesses all the latest Brexit developments

in Brussels, London and in Dublin. This week there's been plenty of sound and fury as both

the EU and UK limber up for those all-important future relationship negotiations starting next

week. In Brussels, EU members formally adopted their negotiating mandate while in London the UK responded with its opening position.

And it's fair to say, both sides are very far apart on the big important issues.

None more important than the Irish Protocol with briefings from Downing Street last weekend

that the UK was looking for ways to avoid implementing what the EU says are mandatory

checks and controls on the Irish Sea. With the UK threatening to walk away from the negotiations

as early as June, we'll assess the prospects for the talks collapsing and what it will mean for

the future relationship and the island of Ireland. But first, Sean, to you in London today,

where Michael Gove was on his

feet in the House of Commons, answering questions on the UK's negotiating mandate. What kind of a tone

was he striking with regards to the negotiations? Was it the hardline tone we've heard from the UK

before? Was it more conciliatory? And what did he have to say about Ireland?

Well, certainly in terms of the briefings that had gone before it in the past week, this was quite an emollient statement by Mr Gove, who as we know is a very skillful parliamentary operator and orator. He wasn't

turning on the rhetorical flourishes. He wasn't laying into the EU. He was putting down very firm

markers on things like level playing field, like European Court of Justice, like fisheries,

the areas that have been well flagged as the potential flashpoints, the most likely flashpoints

...