[Sephiroth]

Valid point, however, surely the primary interest of the EU is to protect the sanctity of the EU?

If they were to weaken it potentially leads to issues inside the bloc

They are going to protect their own, and if that means punishing the UK then that's the route I suspect they will take.

How pleased I am to have been proved wrong! A Remainer (you quoted above), pleading the Remain case by reminding the Leavers that the EU will punish us for leaving. How right we were to have left the EU.