Do I understand correctly that you don't want a second referendum after the negotiations because the EU would then 'punish' us in the negotiated deal, and you don't want one now because it is in some way undemocratic?
I don't think you can put a logical binary choice (because that's all we can be trusted with, obviously) after the negotiation. The choices would have to be accept the deal, leave with no deal, or stay in, a guarantee of a chaotic outcome. If you had a referendum now it would be a simple leave with whatever deal is negotiated/no deal or stay in.
I suspect we will de facto stay in under a Norway deal badged as transitional, because the economy requires this. Without this on 19 March 2019 we have precisely zero trade agreements in place, having walked out of the single market and the agreements with 60 other countries that the EU has in place (and perhaps by then a deal with the US and Japan too). The economy will also require a continued flow of labour and skills (and tax income) so immigration will need to continue unfettered as well. This is the cliff edge.
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The sensible thing for the UK government to do would be to cancel the article 50 and the whole Leave process now.
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