Rowland Report is back and 4.40925 pounds (2kg) heavier

I have just returned from a fantastic holiday in Texas and California. With memories of a gas-guzzling 2016 Chevy Camaro, Austin’s finest beef brisket (Franklin), California's cult In N Out Burger (Double Double, animal style of course), and weapons grade mescal still fresh returning to the keyboard has been a challenge. But like me, the content monster must also be fed regularly. 

I have been lucky with my timing, I think. I can't see any developments of any real significance on Brexit during my sojourn – at least from the UK side.

Behind closed doors the Whitehall machine is trying to grapple with the enormity of the task and has nearly completed staffing the ranks of David Davis' Exit Department.  Parliament has returned (only to go back on recess). There's been a big noise but none of it has revealed a great deal. Cabinet appears still to have 21 members and 47 different opinions, and of course the timing of Article 50 remains unclear to say the least (notwithstanding Donald Tusk's remarks).

The real newsflow has been so thin that the media has spent a lot of time rehashing things we have known for weeks as news or psychoanalysing this or that government adviser. 'What Nick Timothy's favourite breakfast cereal means for Hinckley Point' is not too far off the mark. This example from Bloomberg is paradigmatic of the rehash genre. Not only does the article elide single market access and single market membership - two quite different things - it makes a stramash about the fact that the Chancellor, Mr Hammond, is preparing to concede that we can't be a member of the single market if we wish to restrict freedom of movement. Hello! He said that in his Telegraph article only a week or two after the result. This single point is the ONLY thing that has been clear about the negotiation from the outset. 

‎The EU leaders' meeting in Bratislava sans  the UK is interesting as it shows the emergence of the Europe of 27 without its annoying but important Northern member. Donald Tusk's comments that the UK would trigger Art 50 in February caught the eye, though I did strike me that it's not up to Tusk and I very much doubt Number 10 will be leaving it to the Council to announce the UK's timetable for exit. Until we hear it from Theresa May's lips I am not going to pay too much attention to anything anyone says on the matter. 

The next couple of weeks

I am going to write a couple of posts inspired by my recent trip to the magnificent, mad country called Murica but linked deftly (clumsily?) back to Brexit. 

First up - is the United States constitution an indestructible political construction that could survive a Trump earthquake? A comment from a thoughtful American friend made me wonder whether developments in Europe could presage fractures in the other Union. 

Second - what does the Apple/Ireland tax ruling mean for perceptions of the EU in the US? Corporate America is spitting blood about this decision and I think it may could change the way US business looks at Brexit.   

‎After that it will be the Labour leadership announcement (be still my beating heart!) and Tory Conference where I will be writing live from Birmingham.