O_G, I know that is an often mentioned viewpoint, it is one I simply see as illusory/wishful. If it comes to a breakdown/stand-off regarding negotiations then it seems (to me at least) that, even assuming both will suffer some negatives, the much larger party will be in a far better position to soldier on with its conditions intact (internally and externally) than the smaller one with a a large set of new circumstances (mostly externally except then for knock-on). The former has lost part of its constituency, the latter has cast off a proportionately larger component (trade, co-operation, influence, etc.). To a substantial degree the smaller sets off into the unknown. To assume that the rest of the world is clamouring to work with and assist the UK in getting over the incident is, frankly, nonsense - to establish a new status quo is going to take the UK years if not decades. The EU is still the EU and its status quo will effectively remain unchanged. The UK's original intention, that the UK become not only the kingpin but an indispensable part of the (Common Market) EU never came about and that has meant that losing the UK from a project which the UK never liked (and pointedly opposed) is a lesser loss for it. The risk of a satisfactory agreement not being reached is a greater threat to the UK than it is to the EU - posturing objectives excepted.