You don't need to be a politician, just have a grasp of common sense, to know that the EU were always going to play hard ball from Day One of the negotiators, how could they do any other?
To roll over and accept Britain's exit is to start a domino effect which would see the EU collapsing within five years, they were always going to make it as hard as they could to set an example to any other countries thinking of doing the same.
Where Britain appears to have fallen down, is not to understand that basic fact, and play harder ball as well. It transpires that the EU expected us to be really tough, and were surprised and amused at the way we rolled over - to our cost.
We should have threatened to walk away from Day One, and meant it, and no be ready to carry out or threat.
We still won't and they know it, to our cost.