A weak UK government might do a better Brexit deal than a strong one
Article Link: https://theconversation.com/a-weak-uk-government-might-do-a-better-brexit-deal-than-a-strong-one-79511
The article discusses “Brexit” and how a weaker government might be more pressured to accept negotiation versus a stronger one. Theresa May, a member of Parliament, thought the opposite. She believed that a stronger mandate was needed to negotiate a Brexit deal. But she was wrong. In fact, when negotiating, “strength is weakness and weakness is strength”. This is due to John Nash’s bargaining theory that states that if one side in a negotiation is less dependent on the deal, then it will be more demanding and less willing to yield. Currently, the EU wants a negotiated solution with the UK rather than no deal at all. Faced with a weak yet pressurised government, the EU will negotiate a Brexit deal as long as unreasonable demands are not made.
In class, we learned about Nash Bargaining Outcome and how the formula for Nash Bargaining Outcome emphasizes an important point in negotiation, as stated in the textbook, that “having as strong an outside option as possible, before the negotiations even begin, can be very important for achieving a favorable outcome” (351). Based on this article, it seems that the EU’s outside option is less than that of the UK. Hence, EU is so wanting the negotiations to go through rather than no deal at all. Because of this, the EU will lessen its demands so that negotiations still happen.