They're being mean to me.

Today's news is that the EU are planning to gang up on us over #Brexit. At least according to Theresa May. So what do we learn from this diverting new insight?

At first sight nothing. The European Union is a union. There is only one negotiation and that means they need to get their act together and reach a common position. It might suite British ends to divide and conquer and to try and cut deals and win support behind closed doors, but right from the start the other EU countries have shown little willingness for that.

In the context of the negotiation this type of message is counterproductive. Pitching the negotiation as a struggle of opposites undermines the goal of any good negotiation - finding the win win solution. In this case that was always going to be hard going. The best solution for both sides is for Britain not to leave so any solution is second best. Moreover, if Britain leaves it goes without saying that no member wants Britain to get a better deal by leaving than they get by staying. Britain will have a worse deal than we have now. The negotiations are only about how much worse. (This leaves aside for now that there are a lot of details around leaving that need to be resolved too). Aggressive positioning at home does little to win friends and goodwill for the coming talks.

But this statement isn't really about getting a better deal is it? It's given in the context of the election. Painting the EU black here is playing to the Brexit audience. Those nasty foreigners are out to get us.  It's a plea to all those fervent europhobes out there that might be tempted to vote Labour to pin their faith in the Conservatives instead. It's a ploy to divert attention from the government record on austerity, poverty and public services.

The Europeans aren't ganging up on us. Brexit will almost certainly impact the other EU states. They haven't asked for it but will have to live with it. Yes, they are going to look out for their own self interest, but they are not opposing Britain. Not unless we make it so. And it seems, in her electoral self interest, that's exactly what Theresa May wants to do.