charles flanagan, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. me begin with some words from your boss, the prime minister, enda kenny. he said brexit represents the greatest economic and social challenge to this island in 50 years. now, he said that some time ago, not long after the british referendum. do you feel that way about brexit today? yes. the withdrawal of our neighbours, the uk, from the eu is potentially very damaging for the uk, for europe and for ireland. it certainly wasn't the result we expected or wanted. we're very disappointed, but we've got to deal with the cards as now played. this is potentially very damaging for the equilibrium of europe. the market of 550 million people, the great peace project of many years standing. and with ireland, as the nearest neighbours of the uk, in the event of there being adverse consequences, well then we're most likely here to suffer most. that must make you very angry, doesn't it? that here you are, unable, really, to have an influence over an event which could be catastrophic for you and you

charles flanagan there, the irish foreign minister.tory mep and leading brexiteer dan hannan in brussels. with me here is radoslav sikorski, the former polish foreign minister. we know brexit is causing ructions. what has got us to this point as opposed to where we were two weeks ago, who's to blame? leaks are not helpful, but equally, an electioneering atmosphere heightens the motions. heightens the emotions. i don't think serious governments respond to newspaper articles. we need serious people to discuss serious issues because otherwise this could be the beginning of a train wreck. is theresa may's government and borisjohnson and david davis, are they a serious government? what was leaked and theresa may has confirmed... we learned nothing else that we have heard from british politicians on the record. that they really believed in their own propaganda, and they tried to signal, look, you need to become more realistic. of course, in the terms of the british election campaign, daniel hannan, it is a dangerous game, isn't it? if theres