I don't know when Mrs May first used the phrase no deal is better than a bad deal but it was a long time ago. It was a very stupid thing to say whenever it was. Unfortunately, it has stuck, especially with the ultra Brexiteers. This piece by David Smith, economics editor of The Sunday Times (HERE) explains why it isn't remotely feasible. There is no doubt at all that the government was and is bluffing in a big way. Neither is there any doubt that the EU know we're bluffing - in a big way.
The idea, I assume, was intended to put the wind up the EU and force their hand.
The government really wanted to scare the EU, while sotto voce behind their hand, telling UK business that they were not seriously thinking about leaving without a deal, to avoid driving companies away. But now we see the opposite is happening. This piece HERE by the farming community in Northern Ireland is typical. They are terrified of leaving without a deal and, like many others, are going public and this is causing more worry in the general population. Meanwhile the EU, knowing it's all bluster isn't bothered in the slightest.
So while the slogan might have been thought a good idea at the time, like most of Brexit, it just wasn't thought through and is having an effect opposite to the one intended.
The BBC are getting in on the act with a simple explainer HERE
The BBC are getting in on the act with a simple explainer HERE
