This is LBC from Global, leading Britain's conversation, mystery hour with James O'Brien.

Three minutes after 12 is the time, don't hate me, but I'm going to begin with a bit of Brexit news that's breaking.

The European Parliament has decided it will not be able to ratify any treaty before the end of December

unless the deal is concluded by Sunday. So unless there's a final text on Sunday, then any

treaty that's agreed will have to be provisionally applied from January the 1st with the

European Parliament giving its consent vote later. I would currently put the likelihood of a deal

at 60% to 65, but you know me.

I'm one of nature's optimists.

Mystery hour is now upon us 035-6060973 as the number you need if you have a question

that is in dire need of an answer.

A who, a why, a what, a where, a whence, even the occasional wherefore.

If there's something bubbling away in the back of your brain that is in need of satisfaction,

then this is the place where you could find it.

And similarly, if you're feeling a little bit chipper and knowledgeable,

then you may have a chance to strut your intellectual stuff in the course of the

next 55 minutes or so. So if you're not familiar with this feature, and I hope you'll enjoy it,

it's one of my favorite things we've ever done, which is why I'm so excited about the thing

I'm going to tell you about later in the hour if I remember. I just describe it really as the radio equivalent of those pre-internet newspaper features that

were so popular when you'd write in and say, why do we do that? Where does that come from?

What's the origin of this? What's the origin? How come anything at all that you think must have

an answer, but you're damned if you know what it is.

You're not allowed to look stuff up, obviously. If you hear somebody ask a question to which you know the answer, then you must.

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