NEWS broke yesterday that talks on a Brexit deal had stumbled with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly telling Boris Johnson that a Brexit deal was now “overwhelmingly unlikely”.

And President of the European Council Donald Tusk then sent a public tweet to Mr Johnson, writing: “What’s at stake is not winning some stupid blame game,” fearing the PM’s strategy will be exactly that.

This mood change has happened very quickly. Last week the new proposals were being described as positive and providing a chance of finally securing a deal. Yet here we are.

It all appears to me to be too little, too late.

How can anyone think this is sensible government? When there is talk about betrayal, not negotiating sensibly is a betrayal of Brexit and the 17 million who voted for it.

READ MORE: 'New proposals are a chance to get a Brexit deal' says Worcester MP Robin Walker

It was all very simple when the new PM came to power in the summer. Day one of the new government should have been dropping Theresa May’s red lines and entering into serious negotiations with the European Union that would secure a successful Brexit that won’t damage the economy, but actually give the UK a chance of a bright future.

From the start it should have been about securing something that parliament and the European Union could get behind.

As no fan of the institution I may want to leave the European Union, but only with a deal that works, and definitely not calamity no deal.

Instead that seems to be what the PM wants.

How can anybody want no deal? I’ve written in this column before that if only a few of the warnings come true, why would you support anything that could lead to that chance.

And are we really prepared for no deal? I get the impression we are not. It feels like the government knows this too, every television advert break and newspaper seems to have a “Get ready for Brexit” advert at the moment.

READ MORE: Worcester's Labour candidate says MP's comments on Brexit plan 'sounds a note of desperation'

Effectively we are now back to square one, and the only way out is to secure another extension. The law requires the PM to do that, so to even hint he wouldn’t is worrying.

Yes it’s frustrating, but if negotiations had gone well, all of this would have been prevented a long time ago.

Instead, the madness continues.