I suspect there is nothing reasonable we could offer that would satisfy the EU27. There will be a mismatch between what they demand and what we feel able / can afford to give. They want us to 'show our hand' before proceeding. Doesn't that remove our right to negotiate? Why not allow a parallel process to facilitate negotiations rather than hinder them by insisting on a serial process? Why would they be so intransigent? Perhaps they want to make the maximum example of us and cause us maximum damage to discourage anyone else from daring to leave. They are holding us to ransom, just as I knew they would if we dared to ask to leave.

We should do what James Dyson said last Sunday on the Andrew Marr show. Walk away. They will come to us. They need us as much as we need them. Blocking and putting up barriers is in no-one's interest. We need a strong leader to stand firm and tell them a few home truths. I thought a Conservative government would be best placed to stand up for our rights but unfortunately the present one isn't coming across as strong and resolute. The negative doom-laden media and social engineering of the left wing news feeds over which we have no control probably don't help the issue. For example, I don't recall seeing James Dyson's comments on my daily MSN indoctrination from the Guardian and (cough) 'Independent'. His comments don't fit their agenda, do they?