The parties do know that it will harm the UK; but there would be no net harm to the EU - a disaster for Britain is a positive result for the EU, as it will help to discourage any further nations from leaving. The EU can do just fine without British trade, but the reverse is not true.
The rules say that it will take two years; so that's how long it must take. Of course that's not enough time; but that's just tough luck for Britain - they knew the rules before they accepted them by triggering Article 50, and now they have to play by them.
And so far, all of the 'scaremongering' by the Guardian has proven remarkably accurate.
Your mindless optimism won't effect reality - on March 30th, 2019, new international trade rules will apply to Britain, and any nation or bloc with whom a new agreement hasn't been finalised at that date will trade in accordance with the standard WTO tariff structure.
Enjoy your food rationing, soaring prices, and unemployment.
Eu countries experiencing the same including financial institutions going bankrupt, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Eire. They already have unemployment which is guised as zero contracts. Added to this, in the UK I notice a huge influx of people who only have one part time job.
Lloyds, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Cooperative banks which ran profitably for hundreds of years have gotten into financial difficulties. Another old institution, the Midland Bank went in the red and was taken over by the HSBC
In 2015 as I quoted previously the Builders Federation advised Britain is 1,000,000 houses short. Given that our immigration rose since joining the Common Market, then the EU from around 30,000 per year to 650,000 per year (but 300,000 or so also leave) more people are packing into less houses..
In reality given that when I was a shop worker on low salary, one bedroom flats were affordable in some London areas. My own rent was 25% of the salary.
Single shop workers are lucky if the can get a single room in a shared house.
80% of young people today believe they will never own a house in their lifetime.
The Labour and Tory governments both pledged to build 200,000 houses per year but only built around over half of that.
The minimum wage seems to be misinterpreted as the maximum wage in some cases. More than ever I see office work, which was once reasonably paid hovering around £7.50
We have zero rated contracts affecting up to one million people (highest estimate) where there is no guarantee of work but it is provided as it comes along. This removes people off the unemployment bank.
Back street Pawn shops which almost disappeared in the 1980s, can now be found all over London and act as second hand shops mainly for electronics such as smartphones laptops, watches and jewels are displayed in the windows. They are no longer shady looking but have smart shop fronts.
There are often vacancies for door to door debt collectors or management executives to work from home. These are commission only jobs with high turnovers where earning the minimum wage is a luxury.
A British Plumber was once able to purchase a modest house in London. However, he is not able to complete against Polish or Latvian plumbers who are also skillful.
They are prepared to live 3 or 4 in a room. They are productive and work hard. However they can then build a home back in Poland. There is nothing wrong with that, but the effect of then when less money is spent in the UK economy per person various jobs such as home furnishings and restaurants will go.
At the same time most Migrants who came here are productive and should remain even after Brexit.
Before the UK joined the EU there were no problems with travel. This was simply a visa stamped upon entry.
Countries such as Norway, Iceland and even Turkey have an excellent status. Children of Turkish workers in the UK are entitled to free apprenticeship training.
By the way children of British parents who have worked abroad are not entitled to this unless they stay and work in the UK (or receive unemployment) for 3 years.
Affordable housing for lower paid workers and unemployed has all but dried up during the last 30 years.
The reality is we need to take in genuine refugees and a fluctuating amount of workers into the UK. However we simply don't have the room to pack in everyone.
We also need to reconsider the status of asylum seekers who upon gaining citizenship then go back home on holidays.
Even after leaving the EU, the laws, EU laws will remain in force for some years to come before they are modified.
Immigration will not go down after the UK leaves the EU, at least not in the short term.
This is because when Teresa May was home secretary and pledged to keep the level to manageable amounts more came in.
Britain is pledged to take in refugees and asylum seekers. This is not only because it has signed up to do so, but because they are mostly a direct result of poodling up to the US in that area.
When Britain first joined the common market, produce and dairy produce were the first items to go up in price. Lamb, butter, long life milk which came from Australia escalated to cover farming subsidies.
I also previously mentioned unfair competition where several companies received grants from the EU fund and used them to move British.
As I understand Britain purchases much more from Europe than it sells to Europe; we have a trade deficit.
The laws much change where Britons who go to certain war zones should make a special application. Those who don't should either be barred from entry or ideally interned while the background is investigated. However this needs to be properly worked out.
Migrants who try to enter by boats should be given to understand they will not be processed.
Debts for the UK and France are escalating as I have previously quoted.