When we voted to leave there were merely 2 questions on the paper to choose from, no information about how we’d negotiate a potential deal or which direction the EU would be heading in should we decide to remain.

Leave?

Remain?

Not

Leave?

Leave with a deal?

Remain with less powers?

Remain?

Therefore, as leave won, the default position should have been leave with no deal presented at the time. May should have entered the negotiations with this as her sword to battle the EU in negotiations, not begging for a close deal but saying we’re open to a deal that works for both parties and if no such thing exists then we’re still off either way.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d much prefer to do a trade deal that works for the UK and the EU. And I’m sure the EU would have taken the same stance had May and others known the fundamental principles of negotiating tactics.