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

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

And I'm Colamo Munggown, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor,

normally in Dublin, but now once again, back home for one week anyway in my kitchen in Kildare.

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

This week, on again, off again, will they, won't they? The tortured standoff between London and Brussels on getting negotiations back up and running after the drama of last week's EU summit. We'll examine in detail what went wrong,

why the UK was so upset at a six-paragraph statement by EU leaders and how both sides patched

things up. Was it all a piece of theatre or a genuine breakdown? While Michel Barnier was told

not to come to London on Monday, his colleague Maros Shefftiewicz was welcomed with open arms to a meeting

of the Joint Committee to talk about the Northern Ireland Protocol. In contrast to the toxic

mood elsewhere, that meeting was described as positive and constructive. We'll explore what's

happening with the protocol and whether or not it'll be ready to go on January the 1st.

But first, Tony, one Twitter wit described in the past week, the proceedings like a bad

episode of normal people. On again, off again. Yeah, it was back, it was Wednesday when the

talks actually were signal to be back on,

but while most people suspected the talks would, would be resumed, it was never really clear

...