After the first full week of talks over leaving the European Union , there was more to be gleaned from the comments of EU lead negotiator Michel Bernier than those of Brexit secretary David Davis’.

Mr Davis’ carefully upbeat statement did not explain the UK’s thinking on some of the more difficult issues. The alarming thing is that seems to be because the UK’s views are muddled and underdeveloped.

The clear message for the UK is that no trade negotiations can begin until an agreement is reached over the rights of EU citizens post-Brexit. Given there appears to be little common ground over the so-called divorce bill either, the prospect of trade talks beginning in October must be shrinking fast.

In some areas it the UK team’s apparent intransigence is understandable. Whether you agree with Brexit or not, the EU surely cannot expect British courts to defer to the European Court of Justice after the split. It is difficult to see a position where such an arrangement would to be acceptable to many Brexiteers, even some of the less ardent ones. Yet there will need to be some form of international arbitration available - perhaps through the European Free Trade Association.

In other areas, the UK’s intransigence is simply daft. It is clear the UK has incurred debts and financial commitments in the expectation that we will remain part of the ‘club’. To now suggest we can walk way, denying any responsibility is naive and wrong. The Boris Johnson view, that the EU can whistle for such money, can only curtail talks and make hopes of a trade deal redundant.

But then, as we’ve heard repeatedly from Leave-supporting Tory MPs, no deal is better than a punishment deal. Yesterday David Davis said: “Nobody expects a punishment deal.” But if this is the case, why have many Conservative MPs talked of little else? Repeated scaremongering suggestions that the EU might inflict a punitive deal appear born of little more than xenophobia.

The orderly withdrawal Mr Barnier speaks of is in the UK’s interests as well. But still, amid Conservative in-fighting and with the government’s position precarious, ministers can’t seem to agree on what that might entail.

Time and again Mr Barnier referred to a lack of clarity from the UK side. His disdain was most clear over the ‘debt’ issue: Talks can progress “as soon as the UK is ready to clarify the nature of its commitments”, he said.

At some point the Government will surely have to be frank with the British people about the need to pay a substantial amount to EU coffers to cover our outstanding obligations. Yet Mr chose yesterday to quibble over the question, disingenuously claiming he did not recognise the concept of a “net flow” of cash from Britain to the EU.

These are the earliest stages of negotiations but the clock is already ticking. There is little to suggest we are not heading for a disasterous hard Brexit at this point. It may be a time for some hard realism instead.