As deadlines bear down, Britain's 'Brexit' effort is a muddle

"At the moment, they haven't got a clue," said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based research institute. "It is such a difficult challenge with such disparate leaders at the top of government, with such different views, that they are trying to work out how to respond."

"The single market is dynamic and not static," said Mr Grant, adding that countries like France and Germany “would say, 'We will listen to your views, but we will write the rules.' ”
Over all, Mr Grant said that for Britain, "the trade-offs will be painful, and that’s why the government has said very little: It doesn’t want to admit that it is in a pickle."