They didn't miss the opportunity, it was never offered. Trading partners like the US advised them to stay in the Bloc, which is the same as saying "there's no b

They didn't miss the opportunity, it was never offered. Trading partners like the US advised them to stay in the Bloc, which is the same as saying "there's no bilateral deal coming if you leave". Trade deals are multi-year projects and the terms you can get depends on how much leverage you have. Its noy the kind of thing you jump into after leaving a bigger trade bloc. The UK wasn't going to be able to negotiate anything without the bargaining chip of duty-free access to 500m customers.