brexitcast pod cast... we call that a shirt for radio. normally we sit ina cupboard a shirt for radio. normally we sit in a cupboard recording the little pod cast, brexitcast. i have brought kate! you did, you did. this is a twist on the usual pod cast, normally into your ears only and instead, welcome and thanks for watching on the bbc news channel to a special brexitcast with an invited audience. brexitcast from bbc 5 live and bbc news. brexit means brexit. breaking up is hard. the people voted and they have to get on with it. i think brexit is going to be a wonderful thing. i have it. i think brexit is going to be a wonderfulthing. i have to it. i think brexit is going to be a wonderful thing. i have to say this isa wonderful thing. i have to say this is a tough negotiating process which a——ican is a tough negotiating process which a —— i can only describe as adults breakfast. brexit means brexit, but what does brexit mean? -- as a dog's brea kfast. what does brexit mean? -- as a dog's breakfast. 0h, what does brexit mean? -- as a dog's breakfast. oh, what did you think of

the jingle? it is magnificent, darling. laughter i didn't edit it. what do you think of the brexitcastjingle? yeah, a good summary of where we are so yeah, a good summary of where we are so far? and who said brexit is a dog's breakfast? was it yanis varoufakis? that was a niche question, wasn't it? lets focus on the big picture, where are we on the seemingly never—ending brexit process ? seemingly never—ending brexit process? it is the christmas party at downing street, and for journalist and officials this evening, and their christmas party because, after all the nxt of the la st because, after all the nxt of the last few months, after the frustrations, their difficulties, all of the wrangles at a cost for theresa may, last week at the end of the week she got her piece of paper, she was able to come home and say yes, phase one is over. now, does

that solve the contradictions we have discussed on the programme? does it mean the problems have gone away? does it mean anything other than for numberten away? does it mean anything other than for number ten thank goodness they got to this stage? not really. that in and of itself given the divisions in the tory party, the divisions in the tory party, the divisions in the types of approach between the uk and eu that is an achievement for a prime minister who lost her majority down the back of a sofa not long ago. and she has been applauded. yeah. and i have to say that in the eu there is a real sight of relief, actually, and it is not that it of relief, actually, and it is not thatitis of relief, actually, and it is not that it is one of those occasions where it is an eu summit e is a waltz out the door and they ally, did you see what... —— and she walks out the door and they are like, did you see what she did... i will do that many times over the next few months. they didn't do it this time. they were like, oh my god, you know, they took about someone who has a

couple of cahoonas and they think she has found a way out of a tough situation. they were so taken aback by the dup phone call she received while in brusselsjust a few by the dup phone call she received while in brussels just a few days before and the people in the room describe it in such awestruck tones, like "we saw her as if her government was going to crumble around her" you know, they were taken around her" you know, they were ta ken by around her" you know, they were taken by that. the fact sheet could turn that around by, let's face it, we will hear about ireland later, keating became down the road, but the fact that we have got past phase one “— the fact that we have got past phase one —— keating became down the road. the fact we have a real sight of relief —— kicking the can down the road. you know, iwas relief —— kicking the can down the road. you know, i was still calling people yesterday on a sunday and i am amazed they take my calls on sunday. i was marching in the countryside on the phone talking about, i was saying "attitude

towards the uk, negative" no, are sort of feeling buoyed by what happened. interesting in the press co nfe re nce happened. interesting in the press conference last week on friday when jean—claude juncker came out with tusk to deliver the news to say sufficient progress has been made and he was falling over himself to be nice. yeah. she was tough, smart, polite negotiator, you know. be nice. yeah. she was tough, smart, polite negotiator, you knowm be nice. yeah. she was tough, smart, polite negotiator, you know. it is awful, isn't it? who in the audience has got a cahoonas impression for later? dangerous territory. someone might come up to kiss you because that would be a good impression, wouldn't it? or maybe he will hug you for ages and not let go. wouldn't it? or maybe he will hug you for ages and not let gom wouldn't it? or maybe he will hug you for ages and not let go. it was interesting. politically for her, i think, last week the monday to friday to monday to friday made me think that actually this process is just going to be like this and it is something ministers have been saying

for ages, it isjust going to be like this, it will be really hard and we are going to go from the top of the himalayas down to 20,000 leagues under the sea and then i began... is the imperial? am not sure. i think for that process, it is going to be like that. also, in this feeling that we are progressing, definitely you feel. we are going back to the same rhetoric from right at the beginning which is brussels saying we need to hear from the uk what they want, which is what we heard at the beginning of phase one. we are back again there now. the mood is different, positive, can do and yet they are saying we want a deal with you guys but you have to come back to us with a clear idea of what you want. they are focused on today and tomorrow without believing they are going to get the answer.

and you know how i celebrate? it doesn't involve the pub. i got stuck ina doesn't involve the pub. i got stuck in a lift with 18 otherjournalists stop it only for a couple of minutes but it felt like a couple of hours. is that fake news? no, it is real. what was the conversation? is that fake news? no, it is real. what was the conversation7m is that fake news? no, it is real. what was the conversation? it was, how long are we going to be in here? were you waiting for key moments or was it afterwards? what happens is that there are bits of the building that there are bits of the building that was on the down, we went to the ground floor which was locked down. i tried to lighten the mood by asking everyone what donald tusk's favourite christmas movie was. it didn't really work. remind me not to invite you to play in new year's eve party. what is your favourite christmas film then? i don't know. i like the holiday. can we have a brief confectionery moment are

looking at the table in front of us? it has been known to have a little ca ke it has been known to have a little cake or sweet, but we have a selection here. these look like they have been bought from the supermarket down the road. presumably we will hand these around. air. let's hand these out. -- air. -- around. air. let's hand these out. —— air. —— yeah. around. air. let's hand these out. -- air. -- yeah. look at this! amazing. while you settle down... thank you william. cheers. other biscuit brands are available. while we are digesting our biscuits, we have our first christmas treat for you all. as you know i have a deep and special relationship with michelle barnier. do you have it

with him or act him? —— at. michelle barnier. do you have it with him or act him? -- at. he probably avoids all corridors. no, as you will see my colleagues have made a better video. — — ba ntz. very good. by the time we get to march 2019 he is going to be running away from new. the other day when we arrived, i was the first person and he shook my hand because i think he was relieved... that it was you? know, the whole historical process was reaching a milestone. —— inaudible. “ fio. i saw the pictures of that meeting.

he was running away. he shakes your hand and you shake his hand and he carries on, speeding up, speeding up. im teasing. he has much longer legs of. this is emblematic of the brexit process. you can see the same scene and interpret it in two different ways. if you are listening to us live or as a pod cast conventionally, you can see adam's brexit video on the bbc news channel and the website. now, shall we get into our questions from the floor from our fantastic assembly of brexitcaster to have come a long. thank you for doing that. let's see if we can get the microphone to sally. fire away. thanks having asked. 0n sally. fire away. thanks having asked. on thursday ‘s question time

professor robert winston said there was a professor robert winston said there wasa minor professor robert winston said there was a minor chance brexit wouldn't happen without considering the likelihood of it, how would or could this practically happen? will not happen? that sounds like a question foran happen? that sounds like a question for an editor. as he said, i think it is very unlikely, don't forget both of the parties voted for article 50 and the process to make it happen. i suppose you can see a situation, if there was a sudden and very clear reversal of public opinion, which might be the type of thing which would come about is something serious happened to the economy or some bust up in the talks or all is kind of things that we cannot imagine, but you would see some scenario that would really have to change public opinion and only in that case would you see any other politicians in either the labour party or the tory party feel that it was the thing to say hold on, let's have another think about this. so i

think it is very unlikely but politics has been so volatile in the la st politics has been so volatile in the last couple of years, it is not impossible to imagine that is something we haven't anticipated yet happens, then you could find a political way to stop it because i think not only is the article 50 process unclear as to whether or not it is reloadable mother has been a lot of chatter. —— revoke. but from a political point of view, if many, lots of the mainstream vibe was that we don't want this any more, they would find a way to stop it. the eu wouldn't make us do it. absolutely, from the uk perspective, the eu referendum was not legally binding. it happened and it has come political reality but it is not legally binding. article 50 is legally binding. article 50 is legally binding, we have started the

formal process and after two years, unless there is a unanimous vote, be it the uk plus the member states and the european parliament could vote to extend the negotiating period but otherwise in march 2019 the uk leads. up until that point, the uk can change its mind. after that point, when there is talk about you can vote in the 2020 election on the brexit deal, we are out. britain can vote and decide what it likes but actually we have left the european union at that stage and we would have to apply to come back in. if we are talking in theory or practice all likelihood, were there to be this huge event that everybody, including the eu, there is a feeling that in the uk there is a conspiracy to keep us in the. whoever you talk to keep us in the. whoever you talk to on the european political field would love the uk to stay. believes the uk is leaving. say there was

this amazing reversal, under what circumstances would we come back? actually, again when you talk to the commission they say we can change oui’ commission they say we can change our mind while in the article 50 process but by launching it we have lost everything that we have gained, if you like. that means the rebate, not signing up to the euro and all of that. that would be really intriguing from an academic point of use. intriguing from an academic point of use. it would have to be so big, if you think it was the biggest democratic event, the biggest exercise of peoples will and vote for a long time, so politicians would have to be really, really sure that they had a chunky majority of the public on side if they were to stop that. a quick question to use. —— to use. what i and conscious of, is while we are in west and stuck on a huge amount of the brain space of westminster is taken up by brexit. i

wonder, went as brexit sit on the conversations of the european union when there are so much else that they need to talk about? wee karabakh brexit, how marx is brexit the dominating conversation in brussels? this will make us feel bad. i think it dominates more time than they would like to admit. 0k? jean—claude juncker at a fume and is a —goersaid, no jean—claude juncker at a fume and is a —goer said, no one i would do my imitation. —— jean—claude juncker. he said from now on we will dedicate 50 minutes per day to brexit and no more. it was a week? no 15 minutes. no, 15 more. it was a week? no 15 minutes. no,15 minutes per more. it was a week? no 15 minutes. no, 15 minutes per week. this is not the case. it isjust not the case.

the uk is a very big member state and we are leaving and that has implications for the whole of the re st of implications for the whole of the rest of the eu. early in 2017 there was this feeling of, this is awful, we are going to dust ourselves down and be stronger forward. we are going to be more unified than ever, we are not. those cracks will show in phase two because they are not unified about the kind of deal that they want to have all prepared to give with the united kingdom. how many rules are they prepared to bend? when it comes out of it i think it will be fascinating for all of us because the eu is good at saying this is it. as i say, it is ish. a lot of people will be seeing a lot of ishes and those will disturb this unified front that they have managed to maintain until now because they wanted the money. that

is what the uk wants, right? you haven't even written anything down for this. in all of this, saying that brexit is a big deal they have other big issues, the future of the european union and what will happen to angela merkel because germany is so to angela merkel because germany is so key. i think these are really, sort of, big issues for them and plus what is really interesting to me is that all the new alliances that are forming inside the eu. we have gone, who are our traditional allies? ireland, denmark, sweden, the baltic states copy who are they i'iow the baltic states copy who are they now making friends with? the assumption that is that we go and germany and become stronger and i think a lot of these eurosceptic countries are banding together. you mention germany, you mentioned ——

where is nina? you worked in think tanks, where are you now? obviously you are an observer at the moment. when you look at the european press and media and germany in particular. lam german, and media and germany in particular. i am german, yeah. how does it go down in germany? think that the public is not actually that interested in it. they thought it was a disastrous thing, but for those who are interested, the german interpretation of the eu is, here are the laws, you tell us which ones you want and then we will decide what model you get. the entire process of anything getting here to face on being completed from the german perspective, they were bemused by it. it is like, why isn't theresa may honest with her public? this is what they signed up to. i think they were slightly bemused about it, but where it is quite

feisty is in some of the comment pieces. i think there was one recently where a very famous german comment author wrote that this is the stupidest decision since the euro made its voice. in the most widely read newspaper it said by by whitey. — — blighty. i think the germans are rather bemused. they find it quite cute, the royal family and so on. bemused. they find it quite cute, the royalfamily and so on. but bemused. they find it quite cute, the royal family and so on. but they think they have this weird culture of exceptionalism which on one hand they like the brits but on the other hand, they don't. i wonder if it is things like when they hear about how many sugars does david davis have. somebody told me it was five, but then another said it was seven. time

foran then another said it was seven. time for an experiment. we are going to doa for an experiment. we are going to do a taste test. in goes another one the. —— number one. this is brexitcast live, a slightly unconventional approach. while you are doing this, we will listen to something because this week michel barnier's team punish de marchi published a dossier of those who we re published a dossier of those who were worried that citizens or write. if you are staying in the uk after brexit, they did a list of questions that. he will take it in a minute. have a listen to this. go onto a drink it now! down the hatch. don't! quite horrible. it doesn't all dissolve. there is still stuff in

the bottom still. i expect something to happen to that search, like in the hulk. when chris mason has seven sugars, he turns into chris mason. nice? disgusting. nice to drink the fuel of the brexit negotiator. it might all be tied in with something else because before he became a politician, david davies worked for tate and lyle, guaranteeing his own pension. you know what i love about five or seven sugar is, there is a phrase introduced into parlance when it comes to eu documents, they call them davies proof or not davies proof, meaning agreeing to conditions on a divorce deal and then coming to a bbc sunday programme and saying, actually, it

is not legally binding, which, at that time, as the audience is watching, there is quite a big audience watching over there as well who arejumping up audience watching over there as well who are jumping up and down and going... do they watch it, do they pay attention to what is happening here? you ask, do they care about brexit? yes, they do. we go for the secret squirrel chats and everything and we said, so how do you feel about, and they are just apoplectic sometimes, really, that colour purple, and they say, do you think we don't read the sunday times, the financial times? someone told we don't read the sunday times, the financialtimes? someone told me outright one of the reasons that there was not sufficient progress in phase one at the october summit was borisjohnson's article phase one at the october summit was boris johnson's article in the paper. oh, definitely. that absolutely put fear into the hearts of people who were trying to make the process work. suddenly one of the process work. suddenly one of the most famous people in uk

politics, the chief cheerleader for the brexit campaign, putting his own personal manifesto for what the world should look like after brexit into a newspaper because he was cross and it made people panic about whether the government was united or not. shall we go to another question? where is madeleine? rather than your question, i heard a rumour you try to get a passport from another country. no. not yet. depending on the answer. no one is allowed to boo. sorry, i was misinformed. my husband is irish. we have two kids and we always thought we would get them irish passports. we are now seriously considering putting in the application. we haven't quite bought a house in dublin. we are getting there. why are you thinking of doing that? we see ourselves as european and then

as european and the idea of leaving the eu and feeling out of europe is incomprehensible and we don't want to live in a little immigrant. we wa nt to to live in a little immigrant. we want to live in the eu. you are sitting next to someone who might be bristling, darren grimes.|j sitting next to someone who might be bristling, darren grimes. i see myself as european. what i don't see myself as european. what i don't see myself as european. what i don't see myself as being part of this european superstate. the united kingdom, global britain, boris johnson's treaters in the telegraph is the sort of vision i think the uk should be going for. it is hard not to stress how important the brexit war cabinet meeting was today and it will change for generations the history, the track of this country and what it goes down and i think i should be a part in which we have an independent trade policy and get out into the world because that is where the growth is. madeleine is not bristling. i am bristling inside. my husband told me not to be too vocal.

0h, husband told me not to be too vocal. oh, come on! it is tony connelly from rt, come on up. looks like a chat show now. applause. . welcome, tony. what is it called? never mind, we're not paying you. brexitcast live, didn't we tell you? i won't plug my brexit and ireland. did you carry in a box of chocolates? no, there are enough calories on the table as it is. you are of course the europe editor for rte , are of course the europe editor for rte, the irish public broadcaster, and you are quite a necessary part of the process a couple of weeks ago. yes. i am happy to talk about it. the day that theresa may came to

brussels for lunch with jean—claude juncker it had been around for days of fraught negotiations between the british, irish and eu officials about the deal on the irish border. the irish government was downbeat on monday morning. mid—morning i was able to get sight of part of the deal, part of the text on ireland, andi deal, part of the text on ireland, and i got a second source to confirm the text. i put out two tweets, rte ran the story, the first tweet said there would be no regulatory divergences according to a draft seen divergences according to a draft seen by rt news, followed up four minutes later saying no regulatory divergences be changed to continued regular tree—lined. these are quite wonky phrase as i understand. —— regular alliance. my understanding is the dup saw that story coming from me, assumed i had been briefed by the irish government, that it was

claiming victory in the process, and i think at that point a certain discontent in the dup had built up and exploded. and that seems to have brought the whole text crashing down. at that moment, to put it politely, all heck broke loose. and then meps came on the record saying then meps came on the record saying the same thing. they said on tape the same thing. they said on tape the uk government has conceded. for the uk government has conceded. for the dup it was piling on the pain that you have brought on social media. the idea that the northern irish would stay in the customs union and single market was floated ina task union and single market was floated in a task force working paper in early november. it brought a harsh response from the government to say there is no way the uk government could countenance something that would put northern ireland on a different footing from the rest of the uk so when i heard that something along those lines was in

the text and the person i spoke to say this is stunning, this is astonishing they have agreed to this, that was why we felt that this appeared to be a concession by the british government. of course in the zero—sum atmosphere of northern irish politics, to the dup it was too far and they were not having it. and through the course of the week theresa may knew that she would not get that through the dup. and also she could not get it through the brexit parts of the party. that is really what it was proxy for. the issue of ireland and the border is vital and important. it is also in the context of the westminster end of things and how theresa may copes with the strands of her party. it became a proxy for the whole row which is basically, as the war cabinet would have been discussing today, how closely should we stick today, how closely should we stick to the eu rules and regulations after we leave. in the cabinet and the tory party there are two very different views. the buzzword is

diverted 0k. the hot debate of 2018 will be over divergences. once we are out, if everyone agrees we are out, as we discussed, should we mirror the eu, because that is what businesses want, they want minimal disruption, or should we go off, be com pletely disruption, or should we go off, be completely free to do our own thing and only agree with the eu rules when it suits us. listeners to 5 live will notice we have diverged from drive, moving to brexitcast. and a nerdy question in your direction, tony, how freaked out is island by brexit and the potential ramifications for ireland if it doesn't turn out as dublin might want? and is it all souls? no. freaked out, yeah, on a scale of freaked outness, we are out on top,

it is the good friday agreement, the peace process, the inflated economy between ireland and the uk, vast volumes of food, a high brexit will hurt ireland badly. it will also affect the border, which is now back in irish politics, which is a real tragedy, because it was gone from irish politics for 20 years since the good friday agreement, so it is a huge worry. now, matt, you work in number ten, you are from northern ireland, and you were on with brexitcast a couple of weeks ago talking about this, so have the government been surprised, were they too late, or was it always a problem that was bubbling away in the basement and they thought they could come to it later on? it is true to say before the referendum in 2016 and then for the first six to ten months post— referendum period the irish issues, the entire ireland, as tony talked about, northern ireland

specifically and the issues affecting the whole ireland, they we re affecting the whole ireland, they were not front and centre of the debate, and the downing street agenda is often driven by what is at the top of the news agenda. it wasn't that people did not take it seriously. but the irish government made a decision, as tony knows, to drive it front to the news agenda to get people's attention. and we picked up talking to members of the irish government, but also some elements, people who come to visit from northern ireland, the feeling that downing street didn't understand, they felt this is not just an economic issue, but also political and very much a social issue. the fact that talk of the border disappeared and now it is front and centre. and real concern about that and real worry that it wasn't being ta ken about that and real worry that it wasn't being taken on board. and i think the rest of the eu was tempted, even though they said from the beginning this has to be one of the beginning this has to be one of the main divorce issues, it was a [we ys the main divorce issues, it was always around, i think they were

willing to let it slide a little bit interface willing to let it slide a little bit i nte rfa ce to willing to let it slide a little bit interface to as the uk government wanted. the irish government made sure that didn't happen —— into phase two. ireland has been given, and! phase two. ireland has been given, and i know ireland doesn't like it said that it has veto, but it does have a veto. it is an implied veto. if it is good enough for dublin, it is good enough for the rest of the eu when it comes... we are running out of time. i was teasing you with ajeremy vine out of time. i was teasing you with a jeremy vine special. we have jeremy vine reading out some of the questions in the european commission q&a at our citizens' rights which sounds like a problem page in a magazine. have a listen to this.|j am magazine. have a listen to this.” ama magazine. have a listen to this.” am a korean spouse, and came to the uk four years ago to live with my eu husband, but the marriage hit a rough patch recently. i want to file for divorce, but i am afraid what it

will mean for my right of residence post—brexit. i will mean for my right of residence post— brexit. i live will mean for my right of residence post—brexit. i live and work in the uk with my partner. we plan to have a baby soon. should we accelerate our plans and have the baby before brexit? i live and work in the uk. i am single. hopefully one day i will marry. realistically, it will be after brexit. will my future spouse be able to join after brexit. will my future spouse be able tojoin in the uk and what if we have a baby? yes, the q&a for people worried about their rights after brexit. it was deep. very deep. it affects lots of relationships now in the uk, like, how did you vote, it is a date in question. absolutely, and it is happening, and in that sense a lot of the post— referendum conversation is playing out in ugly ways, with

the debate last week when the government was defeated on one of the members in the brexit withdrawal bill going through, yet another long and complicated process happening in parliament rather than the complicated process happening in negotiating rooms of brussels. whenever things low art over brexit in parliament, it gets pretty nasty —— blowup over brexit in parliament, it gets pretty nasty. i reckon a little experiment among the audience with a show of hands, picking up on the theme of the extent to which brexit is a dominating conversation, i wonder how often when you are having an ordinary conversation, as opposed to nerdy conversation, that theissue opposed to nerdy conversation, that the issue of brexit comes up and there is a row among friends or family or whatever. port of your hand if it is still happening. is it still happening? —— put up your hand if it is still happening. by the way, a quick cup of tea update, it

gets no better. does it get more sugary? we are very impressed you haven't spat at your microphone. are you sure haven't spat at your microphone. are you sure it is actually shorter? — sugar? you sure it is actually shorter? -- sugar? will donnelly, what's your question? will britain get brexit in anything other than name? we have davis brough and brexino, the people who are dubbed brexinos by tory colleagues, those who have been complaining and amending and trying to change the legislation, that's what the cabinet is trying to figure out today and tomorrow, so at the moment we don't know. one member of cabinet said to me ten days ago, well, we may end up like norway, paying a lot of money to pretend we are not in the eu. or it may well be that the brexit side of the argument wins the debate and of course it does notjust wins the debate and of course it does not just depend wins the debate and of course it does notjust depend on them but it also depends what the eu is ready to

give way or compromise on in the negotiations. two things i say is on paper right now it looks like theresa may's hope of getting the best of both, having ca ke of getting the best of both, having cake and eating it,... i have had jammed dodgers. it looks like her hope of getting the best of both, not having brexit in name that having advantage is, that looks very, very, very hard. but it is important to say a few months ago it looks as though what she wanted to get in phase one will very hard and in the end it you got compromised. yes, of course the uk coughed up the money but the eu compromised a bit. do you think we will get it in anything but named?” do you think we will get it in anything but named? i think we will leave but will go from the position to half in 2/2 hour. what does that

mean few? disgraceful. because we voted to leave the eu and become a self—governing nation and i think that we are seeing is the trail is happening before our very eyes. anybody agree or disagree with that? i was having a conversation with a close remaining friend of mine, he is an honourable chap, but then failed tweeted out —— raphael. parliamentary remainers, parliamentary scrutiny, jolly good, remainers outside on the public on twitter, great, fantastic, brilliant. back to parliamentary remainers, you are not helping. there is an understanding from brexiteer s, the anna soubry 's of this world, that is their intention.

she pretends, i get very offended when people think she is trying to stop brexit but wants to be in the single market and customs union, if you are in those you have to obey all of the laws of the eu and have a tariff structure and you cannot have your own trade deals. that is in the eu, in reality. even if we are out. can! eu, in reality. even if we are out. can i ask both of you, normally in parliament mps make changes, they liked bits and vote against it. do you think because this is a result of the referendum that it feels different? you don't want mps to do what they see as their normaljob.” think brexiteers are cynical about this argument of working parliamentary scrutiny from both sides of both political parties who wa nt sides of both political parties who want to go back to a situation where the legislationjust passes through with a nod and a wink and directors don't touch parliament. there is a cynicism and i think it is very justified because i think they are

pretty much semi open about what they want to do. even dominic grieve, who comes across as a man of integrity, he is up for delaying. this amendment going through gives the lords a chance to delay and it is in the hope of wanting the public opinion to turn around. through. there is definitely suspicion on all sides of. where is hand, she has a very good question. —— ann. i think it is onlyjust beginning because all trade agreement require regular tory alignment. i work in financial services and you have seen global alignment, as well as within europe. from a business perspective, the idea that you will suddenly run off and do something completely different, nobody is that interested from the business perspective anyway because they put the current processes in place. but secondly i

think there is a degree of realism that if we want to trade in the future we are going to have to continue to work in a similar system. it then becomes a question of, where do you have your say? the eu isa of, where do you have your say? the eu is a very powerful status sat around the world. what was your question? has romance blossomed in the discussion room when the leaders pull an all—night? the discussion room when the leaders pull an all-night? i have never been ina less... pull an all-night? i have never been in a less... well i have been in less romantic places. i would imagine, it ranks it up there. it is a massive open plan, neon lit room full of great looking journalist who get more grey as the summit progresses and by the time you get to that 2am german press briefing i

think any little bit that might have existed... i was in the lift for two hours. the other thing is that when i first went to summit, it used to be and it is now not the case, thank goodness, it was the case that booze was free during summits, which when i first went was free during summits, which when ifirst went i was free during summits, which when i first went i thought was absolutely quiet mind blowing. they ruled that out a while ago. any hope that there might have been that it could have been wheeled along by the free belgian beer... bring in the trolley! and typecast and it four hour news has put an end to any of that press behaviour.” hour news has put an end to any of that press behaviour. i am hearing in my ear that actually have some breaking news, do you recall a couple of weeks ago you reminded us

of what you did in a previous life when you told austrian children the benefits of learning english? we managed to find footage of you doing it. looked up on the screen and you will see it. we will post it on twitter. let's see. children were a lwa ys twitter. let's see. children were always important, the show makes learning english fun, not only on radio but also in the classroom. huckle the cat visited hundreds of schools throughout the provinces, bringing very fun and happy laughter to english lessons. does that bring back happy memories?” to english lessons. does that bring back happy memories? i have to tell you the funniest memories of. the cat was a british man, these were

austrian schools. we used to often visit three schools are gay and in particular, in this particular case we went to an austrian catholic boys boarding school and huckle used to get very hot inside his costume, so he always used to carry a final with him to have a little wash. he would ask the schools if he could have a changing room where he could have a wash and change are pretty dam the hokey pokey. am i a really going to tell this story? this is the third school of the day and he went off andi school of the day and he went off and i wasn't there, a have to tell you, he told me the story afterwards. he went there and it was afterwards. he went there and it was a chemistry lab and he stood there, he said he didn't even take off the costume, he unzipped it, put on a tap to wash what he described as his familyjewels.

tap to wash what he described as his family jewels. right back tap to wash what he described as his familyjewels. right back at which point a class of 21 13 —year—olds catholic schoolboys and their priest chemist master walked into the chemistry lab. he walked out of their. i could just see the no local newspaper, british cat exposes himself. within sites like that what better chance for us to say if you are new to brexitcast, please do download us for your pod cast. for further such insights from the top ras of bbc journalism further such insights from the top ras of bbcjournalism on a weekly basis. will you be having a wash after this, chris? ithink basis. will you be having a wash after this, chris? i think what we are going to do in the last minute orso, are going to do in the last minute or so, 2018 are going to do in the last minute orso, 2018 in are going to do in the last minute or so, 2018 in a are going to do in the last minute orso, 2018 in a minute. are going to do in the last minute or so, 2018 in a minute. what happens next? katya adler after your masterclass of storytelling, we will turn to laura first. legal version

of the phase one agreement talks about transition, the uk wants to get it done by much but we don't know if that will happen. the big thing, it heads of terms, the main thrust of the agreement should be donein thrust of the agreement should be done in the autumn, that is quite a timetable. and across the channel? if they are not doing the same thing then that is a big problem. january is seen as a rest months. at the end of january is seen as a rest months. at the end ofjanuary michel barnier will get his remit to discuss transition and we started off about the relationship. important to know that we are not getting is a trade deal. impossible under eu regulations. as much progress will be made as possible but nothing signed on a future trade deal. bank you all. thanks to all of our brexitcasters that came here and thank you for listening on the news channel. and leave us a review and thank our

audience! imac. -- applause. don't forget to subscribe to get the thing on what could be used to listen to us and if you have got a moment, why not leave us a review? prefera bly moment, why not leave us a review? preferably a nice one. a good old —fashioned a good old—fashioned forecast. a mixture of good and bad news, like the course of what we had today. here we are live coming up to midnight. it was a mishmash, there was some fog and beautiful with guys to be had as well. but, the foggy aspects of the foggy end of our spectrum is becoming more widespread as we speak and running through into

the first part of tuesday. it is going to be a pretty chilly start across a good part of eastern scotland, and wales. will come back injusta scotland, and wales. will come back injust a second scotland, and wales. will come back in just a second but as dense a fog that morning as we have had this morning, probably the most extensive fog patches that we have seen. i have highlighted some areas through south—east england and east anglia, through the first part of the day the fog can through the first part of the day the fog can be through the first part of the day the fog can be really through the first part of the day the fog can be really expensive. through the first part of the day the fog can be really expensive. —— expensive. it eventually gives way to all of this clout and rain. —— cloud. the high ground in the west. more to the south—west of northern ireland could be shrouded in fog. as it comes through the deal and central southern, it may lift, but some of those patches could linger

on despite the presence of sunshine through the and east anglia. a real mishmash of a day but the crux of it is if you run into the fog through tuesday or wednesday, it could be really, really tricky. there could be delays at the airports as well through tuesday. that frontal system initially in the north—west of scotla nd initially in the north—west of scotland through wednesday will slump its way further towards the heart of the british isles. to the south of it, we remain in a relatively mild air. isn't a real shock to the system in the north, temperatures in the single figures but you get a better chance of seeing sunshine as the day goes on to the north. a weather front continues its journey towards the south, slowly but surely as we get into thursday. the odd heavy pulse of rain going along that through time and always the very best of the sunshine to the north of that whether band. to the south it stays relatively mild. i will see in about half an hour. —— cu.

i'm rico hizon in singapore. this is newsday on the bbc. the headlines: taking on china — president trump sets out his new strategy for dealing with america's global rivals. we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone but we will champion the values without apology. high—speed train derails in seattle. several people have been killed. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme: the science of ageing — how to keep our lives on track as we all get older. and have yourself a zero—waste christmas — we look at the trend for low—impact festivities. live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news. it's newsday.