Behind the scenes and political cover of a huge row over Galileo, the government is preparing a big U-turn. As we report today Theresa May will ask the European Union for a second transition to run until 2023, covering customs and trade in goods to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

It’s important to note that the prime minister’s new proposal has not yet been officially tabled in Brussels and it is not without problems. My understanding is that the plan involves a second transitional period after the already agreed in principle transition that ends on December 31, 2020.

I’ve been told that, from 2021 until 2023 at least, Britain will ask for a customs and regulatory alignment implementation period to avoid border infrastructure or