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The EU (for example, the Lithuanian PM) has opined that it is difficult to negotiate with the UK because we don't know what we want. The Article 50 notice was served before we had formulated our aims or had any idea of what kind of a deal was on offer. The last 2+ years have been notable only for political infighting - in all parties - with Brexiteers loudly condemning anything put on the table but offering no coherent alternative. In view of the current lack of clarity, it's not surprising that other nations are not queuing up to invest in, or enter trade deals with, the UK. The world has changed since 2016; Russia and China are ever more powerful and the US under Trump is unpredictable. On the world stage the UK on its own is a minnow (and 80% of our economy is based on services); we are likely to have more influence in alliance with others. The EU is certainly not perfect (and may yet break up in any event) but collectively it has clout. Europeans I have spoken to are bewildered by what the UK is doing (or not doing, depending on your point of view). A whole generation and more has grown up with the norm of free movement and forming relationships/marriages with EU citizens (I have 3 in my family and there is about to be a 4th). The latest rise in non-EU immigration gives the lie to the "take back control of our borders" argument. The "Leave" vote was only 4% more than the "Remain" vote, so there is no mandate for a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit; neither side will get exactly what they want, so it has to be a compromise, particularly when 1 nation is negotiating with 27.

There is now the option to withdraw the Article 50 notice and re-serve it later, although our cards are already on the table and, in publishing the Attorney General's opinion, we have laid bare the weaknesses in our arguments, so it's hard to see what bargaining strength we have left.