Re: What a surprise
UK government readily opted out of the single market and the customs union to satisfy the ERG and the hardcore Brexiteer
There was no way to stay in either of them while actually implementing Brexit, the EU would never have conceded that, so it wasn't just to satisfy the hardcore, it was to implement what had been voted for.
sticking the boot into the EU for not "negotiating"
Well, this evening's news seems to be that it has worked, the EU has backed down and will allow chilled meat imports into NI (which remains in the EU customs union), and it is also willing to do a custom deal on other rules. It remains to be seen what that deal can be, but at least it's a start, and an end to the dogmatic "EU says no" approach.