http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/05/no-prime-mini...
Theresa May could have done all kinds of things to force favourable Brexit terms for the UK.
For example she could continuously lower corporate taxes for foreign investment for while not activating Article 50 and simply wait until it really hurts the EU. If the EU doesn't give in the UK continues to wait and makes a lot of money in the process, if it does then the UK also wins.
I suspect that the UK's prime minister actually wants to tank the economy to do another Brexit vote. (the EU loves this, just repeat until you get the desired result - that's one of the reasons why the EU will fail)
She really wants to join her friends at the Soviet High Command in Brussels again.