If we don’t leave in March 2019, it will be because there is no deal so bad that May won’t accept it. Even as a Leaver, I have to agree with Jo
n.
Really ? What do you think May is actually doing that is so worthy of praise ?
She is maintaining a booming economy whilst trying to negotiate the most complicated divorce proceedings ever, with an organisation that is intransigent in the extreme, whilst being criticised all the time by everyone. How she keeps doing it is beyond me. Can you imagine having a working day like she has everyday.at the moment. Her resiliance is incredible. What would your solution be ? And please dont say negotiate better.
I too believe that she is genuinely trying to source a deal that works for everyone, and I too admire her resilience.
However, she has made 3 key mistakes, the first of which is potentially catastrophic and the other two amount to the same thing:
1. As someone who works professionally in M&A transactions, acting usually for the seller, I can assure you that the best transactions are when the seller does not need to sell. If the seller needs to sell at all costs, many buyers will extract every concession imaginable from that seller. Furthermore, there are occasions when the buyer will overreach and despite needing to sell, the transaction does not complete because the relationship breaks down entirely. I appreciate that there was enormous political pressure, but by not preparing publicly for No Deal from the outset, we have put ourselves in the position of a seller that needs to sell at all costs. We are unprepared for No Deal therefore cannot walk away. And as the EU is exactly the kind of adversary who will overreach, by failing to prepare for No Deal we have made it infinitely more likely. By giving ourselves an out we could surely have forced a better outcome.
2. Allowing her election campaign to be hijacked by outside advisers and excluding all other members of her cabinet from the process. A big majority was there for the taking but the abysmal campaign, coupled with the dreadful error to make it all about her, has put us in a much weaker position.
3. Using only herself and civil servants in the negotiating team - this was politically naive in the extreme and has strengthened the feeling in the ERG as a result. Whatever his strengths and weaknesses, David Davis should have been kept close and actively involved at all times which would have given her a buffer between herself and the ERG that she no longer has.
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However, she has made 3 key mistakes, the first of which is potentially catastrophic and the other two amount to the same thing:
1. As someone who works professionally in M&A transactions, acting usually for the seller, I can assure you that the best transactions are when the seller does not need to sell. If the seller needs to sell at all costs, many buyers will extract every concession imaginable from that seller. Furthermore, there are occasions when the buyer will overreach and despite needing to sell, the transaction does not complete because the relationship breaks down entirely. I appreciate that there was enormous political pressure, but by not preparing publicly for No Deal from the outset, we have put ourselves in the position of a seller that needs to sell at all costs. We are unprepared for No Deal therefore cannot walk away. And as the EU is exactly the kind of adversary who will overreach, by failing to prepare for No Deal we have made it infinitely more likely. By giving ourselves an out we could surely have forced a better outcome.
2. Allowing her election campaign to be hijacked by outside advisers and excluding all other members of her cabinet from the process. A big majority was there for the taking but the abysmal campaign, coupled with the dreadful error to make it all about her, has put us in a much weaker position.
3. Using only herself and civil servants in the negotiating team - this was politically naive in the extreme and has strengthened the feeling in the ERG as a result. Whatever his strengths and weaknesses, David Davis should have been kept close and actively involved at all times which would have given her a buffer between herself and the ERG that she no longer has.