David, if you are referring to the response to Mrs May's 'proclamation' on Friday it is not a case of "our representatives in Parliament work to try to minimise the damage" but of parliament trying to reverse the vote by the British people to leave the EU.
The vote was clear. Mrs May's latest white flag paper wipes out the 'red lines' and puts forward a UK position which would not really be Brexit. Although she had already shown it to Mrs Merkel (before 'agreeing' it with the cabinet) I have no doubt that the likes of Michel Barnier will look on it as a starting point, and try to whittle it down further.