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I think the problem is that our politicians genuinely don't seem to get that we are no longer a partner of the EU's, we're a third country trying to strike a trade deal.
I don't know if it's even that. I think that the stain of British Exceptionalism runs deep in them, they probably think that we're better (and always have been, even when a member).
I doubt they thought of the rest of the EU as partners, and certainly not as equals.
christianSpaceman-
I don't know if it's even that. I think that the stain of British Exceptionalism runs deep in them, they probably think that we're better (and always have been, even when a member).
I doubt they thought of the rest of the EU as partners, and certainly not as equals.
That's a better way of phrasing it actually. It could actually be either. The UK government expects either deference (if they're motivated by English Exceptionalism) or loyalty (if they see them as partners) from the EU.
But either way the EU owes us neither. We are a third country seeking a trade agreement and no deal will hurt us much more than it will hurt them. We know the EU are ruthless in their protection of the single market - it's one of the reasons I think we're better off in than out - so why would we expect them to make exceptions for us? The only explanation is some kind of disconnect from reality.
ReekBlefs
I think the problem is that our politicians genuinely don't seem to get that we are no longer a partner of the EU's, we're a third country trying to strike a trade deal. The EU no longer owes us friendship. We want access to their market and they will not grant it unless its in their interests.
The fact that we keep framing it as 'bullying' is symptomatic of this failure to recognise our status as a supplicant.
I think the Brexiters are belatedly realising that we really can't have our cake and eat it. Better late than never eh lads.