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, RTE's weekly podcast on Brexit.

I'm Colom O'Mongown, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor in Dublin.

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

Each week, Brexit Republic has the latest from Brussels, London and from Dublin.

This week, David Frost

fronts up the EU-UK relationship.

What can we expect based

on past form? And we hear from

Alan Powell of the British Distillers Alliance,

a specialist excise consultant

who maps out the bumpy road

facing UK alcohol exports. But first, Sean, to somebody who was once associated with the British

alcohol industry himself, David Frost, who was the CEO of the Scotch Whiskey Association,

he's now the point man for the UK in their dealings with the European Union.

That's right. That was the big surprise of Brexit this week.

...