Published: 7:39 AM September 21, 2018 Updated: 6:28 PM September 17, 2020

An arrangement of newspapers following the triggering of Article 50. Photograph: DANIEL SORABJI/AFP/Getty Images. - Credit: AFP/Getty Images

When the Sun's political editor pondered how Theresa May could have got it so wrong at the Salzburg summit he probably wasn't banking on a former British diplomat joining the conversation.

'The PM has undergone an almost unprecedented humiliation here today,' mused Tom Newton Dunn, before asking 'how did her No 10/UKREP team allow it to come to pass? Bad intelligence? Huge miscalculation?'

While Brexiteers and Remainers alike had their own ideas of where things had gone wrong, none replied in such a succinct and powerful way as Arthur Snell, a former high commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago.

He knew exactly where to point the finger – and it was somewhere closer to home.

In a Twitter thread Snell pointed out exactly how the Sun's hostile coverage of the EU, and those against a hard Brexit, had contributed to May's 'miscalculation.'

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'Your bilious paper has been denigrating government expertise on the EU for YEARS!' claimed Snell. 'Barely a week goes by when you don't condemn the foreign office and known experts as 'europhile elites'.'

He then continued to list examples of the newspaper's pro-Brexit coverage which has contributed to the political climate the prime minister now finds herself in.

He said that the newspaper had printed 'bullshit' from leading Brexiteers like Daniel Hannan, that they had claimed there were ulterior motives regarding the Irish border, and pointed out that those with serious questions about Brexit had been branded 'the enemy.'

He added: 'You abuse our negotiating partners just as talks hit a critical phase. You use disgusting violent language to describe perfectly legitimate political positions and then claim to be mystified by the rise of hate crimes.'

Snell summarised that the newspaper had attempted to 'undermine every aspect of Britain's Brexit negotiations' and then had the 'incredible, ludicrous gall to complain that the prime minister had 'bad intelligence' and had been guilty of 'miscalculation'.

https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1042788680665051136

The thread had been applauded and widely shared across Twitter.

One user commented: 'If this were directed at me, I'd hide under a rock and never come out.'

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FFS @tnewtondunn. Your bilious paper has been denigrating government expertise on the EU for YEARS! Barely a week goes by when you don't condemn the Foreign Office and known experts as 'Europhile Elites'. 1/9 THREAD https://t.co/ATi7NRUMsI — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

You were dismissive of Ivan Rogers and his reality-based advice because it didn't suit your dishonest coverage. You childishly celebrated his departure. 2/9 https://t.co/VEOxqKGvao — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

You print bullshit by @DanielJHannan alleging that public servants who've given their working lives to helping their country are somehow involved in a sinister elitist plot. 3/9 https://t.co/r8OUfktWS7 — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

You impugn the motives of those that point out *serious* problems with the government's nonsensical approach to the Irish border. 4/9 https://t.co/9iquqvckRR — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

You describe the one Cabinet Minister insisting on answers to the difficult questions about the impact of Brexit on our economy as 'the enemy'. 5/9 https://t.co/DHIXGJcYaE — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

You abuse our negotiating partners just as talks hit a critical phase. 6/9 https://t.co/OMavUSxaMh — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

You use disgusting violent language to describe perfectly legitimate political positions and then claim to be mystified by the rise of hate crimes. 7/9 https://t.co/2eDPljPjlZ — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

In short you have thoroughly abused the considerable power and responsibility that goes with being the U.K.'s most-read newspaper to undermine *every aspect* of Britain's Brexit negotiations. 8/9 — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018

And then you have the incredible, ludicrous gall to complain that the Prime Minister has 'bad intelligence' and has been guilty of 'miscalculation'. Go figure. 9/9 ENDS — Arthur Snell (@SnellArthur) September 20, 2018