@FannyWork - What happened reminded me of some divorce cases. Before the case they both talk, agree to be adult, civilised and fair with each other but when they go to court one of them is all lawyered up and has been intending to go for the jugular all along so the other party’s generous offer has become just a starting point.
I was nodding away while reading this, thinking that it was a good analogy. Then I got to this: May went in expecting it to be a civilised process with mutual respect which couldn’t have been further from the truth
Are you really so deluded that you believe this? The EU, from day 1, has said that there are two red lines: the GFA must be protected; the four freedoms come as a package. They have not deviated from this. They have bent over backwards to facilitate Brexit within these confines. The problem is the UK were deluded. They believed the EU needed them more than the UK needed the EU. They believed that they just had to ask and they would be given. They believed the Irish would stand by while they ripped up the GFA. None of this was or is the case.
May went in with a series of red lines that meant, for brexit to happen, the only way the GFA could be protected was with the backstop. If she had firstly considered what was possible under the constraints of the GFA she would never have introduced the red lines. Unfortunately, she suffered from the delusions listed above so went in guns blazing and ended up in this mess.
Certainly, the official EU position was that they would prefer the UK to remain but if they chose to go, so be it. Now, whatever about the official position, must Europeans, particularly the Irish, just wish ye would feck off out and let us get on with more important matters. At this stage, I think the UK is so toxic, the EU will, in the medium to long-term, be better off with you out. There will be short-term pain, particularly in Ireland but hey, we're used to Britain shitting on Ireland so we'll deal with it. Luckily we have the support of the rest of the EU.