As the poker begins... we hold a strong hand

DAY one of the great Brexit poker game, and the European Union reacts with depressing predictability.

In her letter giving Brussels notice of our decision to quit, Theresa May was a model of reason and conciliation, setting out grown-up ground rules for amicable talks aimed at reaching an agreement that will benefit all the peoples of Europe.

Yet her plea for mutual understanding and respect was met with a barrage of childish bombast, posturing and petulance from the other side of the Channel.

Indeed, it is clear from the outset that we are in for two years of tantrums and threats from the EU’s negotiators and the panjandrums of the Brussels bureaucracy.

But then what else could we expect from unaccountable officials whose raison d’etre is to protect their own elitist power base by discouraging other nations from following Britain to freedom?

More worrying, perhaps, is Angela Merkel’s insistence that no trade deal can be negotiated until the terms of Britain’s withdrawal have been agreed.

Does she not understand that the two issues are inextricably intertwined, with the financial terms of our separation depending very largely on the nature of our future relationship?

Can she not also see it’s vitally important for her own voters – not least German car manufacturers, who depend hugely on Britain’s lucrative market – that she should get a move on with discussing a free trade deal as quickly as possible?

But these are early days, and Mrs Merkel’s stand must be seen merely as an opening gambit in the battle of wills ahead.

The important thing is for Mrs May and our negotiators to hold their nerve.

As this paper has long argued, their strongest card is that Britain buys more from our partners than we sell to them. So it would be crazy of EU nations to start a trade war that would inflict severe damage on their own creaking economies, still reeling from the unresolved euro crisis. They need us more than we need them.

But we have other trump cards to play too. As the Prime Minister pointed out in her letter, our partners depend heavily on Britain for their security. We are Europe’s foremost military power, with unrivalled expertise in intelligence and the fight against international crime and terrorism. By repeatedly linking economic cooperation with security, she was delivering a warning that even the dullestwitted eurocrat couldn’t mistake: ‘You can play hard-ball if you like. But so can we.’

Clearly, no punches are to be pulled in the coming negotiations.

Which brings us, regrettably, to the enemies within.

At the very moment in our nation’s history when a united front is essential, how depressing it is to hear the negative wailing of Remoaners such as former mandarin Lord O’Donnell, the increasingly hysterical Nick Clegg, turncoat Nicky Morgan and that compulsive liar Alastair Campbell, selling this country short.

The Mail doesn’t pretend to know what’s going to happen over the next two years ( though we believe there’s a strong possibility that an unreformed EU will implode under the weight of its insurmountable problems).

But we do know that if Britain is to flourish, we must prepare for every eventuality. This means pressing full speed ahead with negotiating deals with countries such as the US, Canada, India and Australia, which are queuing up to do business with us.

It also means stepping up investment in infrastructure, shoring up our factories’ supply chains, honing the right technical skills, enhancing our great university research centres, slashing regulations and boosting productivity to make us fit to take on the world.