When our nation’s economic performance slumps, our politicians should dig deep to deliver real answers to the problems at hand and make a superhuman effort to bring everyone on side. But under our new prime minister the administration has mistaken posturing and trash talk for compromise and hard work.

There appear to be two camps under Boris Johnson’s command: those who definitely don’t want a withdrawal deal with the European Union and are working to avoid one; and those who do but aren’t working to secure one. Either way, the prospect of no deal looms larger than ever, at a time when we can least afford it.

Last week official figures showed that for the first time in nearly seven years the UK economy shrank. Growth was nonexistent amid fears of a global slowdown and … you guessed it, continued Brexit uncertainty. Even our gravity-defying service sector slumped. So with 80 days left until we leave the EU, households and businesses across Britain need to hear a message of support that enhances their sense of community and “can do” – not divisive language, uncompromising ultimatums and no-deal threats. I imagine the EU isn’t terribly fond of those either.

If facing a global economic slowdown, we must not make our own situation worse by pursuing the deliberately damaging uncertainty that comes with a no-deal departure. Further, I’m told the team of in-house civil servants and policy wonks working on European issues at No 10 was disbanded when the new administration came in. Even if it is reformed with new people, several weeks will have been wasted.

Quick guide Who's who - Boris Johnson's controversial backroom team Show Hide Boris Johnson's new backroom team in Downing Street is littered with ex-staff from Vote Leave, supports of controversial lobbying groups like the TaxPayers’ Alliance, and those with links to Lynton Crosby and Mark Textor's C|T Group Dominic Cummings Special advisor to the prime minister Boris Johnson and chief of staff in all but name, Cummings was campaign director of Vote Leave. He had previously campaigned against Britain joining the Euro, and worked for Iain Duncan Smith as director of strategy at the Conservatives, and for Michael Gove as a special advisor in the department of education. Isaac Levido A Lynton Crosby protege, Australian Levido has been hired into Conservative party headquarters as director of politics and campaigning. He has previously worked in Washington for the Republicans, and contributed to the Tory campaigns in 2015 and 2017. Earlier this year he worked on the Liberal party’s surprise election success in Australia, where the party’s Facebook videos were watched at triple the rate of the Labor opposition videos during the election campaign. Lee Cain Head of communications for Johnson and responsible for determining the Conservative government’s message in public. He was the head of broadcast for the Vote Leave campaign and had government jobs, including at No 10, before joining Johnson at the Foreign Office. His most public role, though, was dressing up as a chicken in 2010 to heckle Tory politicians. Rob Oxley Press secretary at Downing Street, Oxley has previously served as an advisor to Home Secretary Priti Patel, and worked alongside Cain as press officer for the Vote Leave campaign. Oliver Lewis Now the Johnson government’s Brexit policy adviser, Lewis was Research Director at Vote Leave. Munira Mirza Heading up Johnson's policy unit, Mirza was his deputy mayor for arts in London for eight years. She has links to a circle of former Revolutionary Communist Party supporters who wrote for Living Marxism, before morphing into libertarian provocateurs involved with Spiked online magazine. She co-founded of the Manifesto Club, a pressure group challenging the “erosion of public freedoms”. Chloe Westley A digital adviser to the administration, Westley worked at both Vote Leave and the TaxPayers’ Alliance. She found fame on Twitter as @LowTaxChloe making videos attempting to mock attempting to mock Corbynite socialism. She was involved in Turning Point, a student pressure group dedicated to “free markets, limited government and personal responsibility” which drew attention when at one of its launch events American conservative Candace Owens appeared to praise HItler’s approach to making Germany great. Westley herself has praised the work of far-right, anti-Islam politician Anne Marie Waters. Ross Kempsell Former Guido Fawkes chief reporter and Talkradio political editor Kempsell has joined Johnson’s team as a special adviser focused on reform of Whitehall and the public sector just weeks after his interview with the prime minister during his leadership campaign prompted Johnson to rattle off an anecdote about making and painting cardboard buses as a hobby. He also was the interviewer when Johnson promised Brexit would be carried out “do or die” by 31 October. Danny Kruger Has moved from being the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s expert adviser on charities to the role of political secretary. He stood down as a Tory candidate in 2005 after causing controversy by saying he thought there should be a “period of creative destruction in the public services”. He argues that cannabis should be decriminalised. Blair Gibbs Previously a senior adviser to both Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, Gibbs is another former TaxPayers’ Alliance staffer entering No 10 as a policy expert. He is also in favour of decriminalisation, joining the administration from a policy role at the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis.

The prime minister has made clear he thinks Brexit is a “do or die” exercise – that we are coming out “no ifs or buts”. He says he wants to do so with a deal. Yet he hasn’t said much about what he is actually doing to get one. Or what it would look like.

I’m also in no doubt that the aggressive language directed at the EU has only put the bloc off engaging in any meaningful way with this new government – reducing the chances of a different deal capable of winning approval in parliament. The prime minister’s first speech to parliament was immediately dubbed “combative” by Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator.

I know some will say tough talk shows real leadership – the country voted out, we must leave. They will say Theresa May failed to show much leadership, she compromised too much, she didn’t really believe in the project in the first place. That’s wrong. She did. Having worked in No 11 for nearly three years, I watched her and her team negotiate a deal that would take us out of the EU while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom. In her mind those two things were inseparable.

My former boss Philip Hammond felt the same way. He and the Treasury also believed a deal that protected the UK was the only way to maintain economic stability and international investors’ confidence. These two elements were considered essential as the UK set out to make its mark in international trade.

Yet now the angry rhetoric may be about to worsen. Last week rumours of a “people v parliament” election campaign began to circulate. If true, this is wholly irresponsible. Politicians are public servants. They work for the people. They represent the people. We absolutely must not tee up an epic battle between the two.

Capitalising on division is reckless. It’s dangerous and unproductive at the best of times, but we are heading into a seismic autumn. September begins with party conference season that quickly leads into an early budget (which also includes an emergency spending review) and somewhere in the mix we may also squeeze in a no-confidence motion and a general election.

These events alone generate plenty of uncertainty, disruption and volatility – without the added spectacle of crashing out of the EU in October. No wonder No 10 issued a “no holiday before Halloween” edict to all staff last week.

Thus far, Johnson’s public statements suggest he’s waiting for the EU to approach him with an offer to drop the backstop. The move was not theirs to make, and any tiny window to reopen the withdrawal agreement has now slammed shut in the backdraught of bravado from Downing Street.

Johnson’s team is right about one thing though – that May’s deal was roundly rejected by this parliament. So this is where you come in, new prime minister: get us a better deal. And do a better job of selling it to your colleagues than your predecessor. Do this to protect those households and businesses that will suffer in the severe disruption that a hard Brexit would ensure.

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At one point during my time in government, Johnson was secretly recorded telling a private, after-dinner, thinktank audience that “the Treasury, which is basically the heart of remain, has seized the risk – what they don’t want is friction at the borders. They don’t want any disruption.” No. No we didn’t.

He accused Treasury staff of “sacrificing all the medium and long-term gains amid fear of short-term disruption”. Quite right. There is no excuse for letting some people or some businesses fall through the cracks for the sake of ideological purity. How much “short-term disruption” is OK? How short is short term? It’s the opposite of what a public servant should aim to achieve.

The economic consequences of no deal have been well documented. Tariffs, legal and regulatory barriers would rise, restrictions on the movement of goods – and, crucially, people – would come into place, with ramifications for all sorts of industries from food to pharmaceuticals, with a likely hit to living standards for most UK households. I don’t want to see a second of it inflicted on the people of this country, no matter how “short term” it is. This “do or die” attitude needs to mature. Johnson must do a deal, and soon.

• Poppy Trowbridge was special adviser to Philip Hammond from September 2016 to July this year