Brexit: Holding the UK's feet to the fire won't work. Regardless of how much they deserve it...

The Netherlands, Nordics and Baltics have been close allies of the UK for a long time and have often followed the same line on European questions of free trade, liberalisation and business-friendly policies. Their shock at the Brexit referendum result (shared by their EU Member State colleagues and the EU institutions) - and frustration at the time, effort and resources needed to thrash out an exit deal - are justified. EU Member States can feel that the UK is creating its own storms and then complaining when it rains. They are right to feel so. That said, they should temper their anger and resist the temptation to hold the UK's feet to the fire and make them suffer.

Britain will be one of the EU's biggest trading partners after Brexit and the economic and social links date back centuries. Adopting a "make them pay" attitude in a fit of pique would be short-termist and deeply damaging for both sides over the long term. 

The EU rightly wants to avoid the UK "having its cake and eating it", but needs to be open to a relationship which goes beyond that of a standard third-country agreement. If not, EU leaders will have a hand in poisoning a relationship which will have political, economic and social implications for generations.