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All exciting stuff. A few points: These isles are, constitutionally and legally, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. An important part of the current mess is that the 'and Northern Ireland' part was, well, overlooked in the enthusiasm. Secondly, while the EU has been seeking 'ever closer union', intra EU enthusiasm for it is diminishing. Macron for example is especially keen, but the French public remain unconvinced. Southern Europe is in a bit of a bad way because of the Euro, which prevents the likes of Italy and Greece from helping their economies through devaluation. The UK (sensibly) steered clear of that. The EU is our biggest single trading bloc, and the common rulebook has led to cross border integration in many different ways - car production being one of the most talked about. Unravelling this and simultaneously replacing it with something as good (economically) will be challenging, to say the least. Dr Fox hasn't got far in his frenetic efforts so far.

The sovereignty argument is slightly baffling. Every international treaty requires some cession of sovereignty, in that we give away our right to decide unilaterally, and instead agree to accept determination (in the event of disputes) by some pan national body, like the WTO. We may escape the 'sovereignty' of the EU by leaving, but in trade terms we will have to accept the sovereignty of e.g. the USA with (for example) chlorinated chicken, whether we want it or not. As a single country, rather than part of a powerful trading bloc, our hand will be less good and trade deals may be less advantageous than through the EU. On the other hand, we will only have to look to our own interests in agreeing arrangements, and can don't have to take account of vocal interests in French fisheries, or German car makers for example.

The real oddity is that no-one in government seems to have thought all this through before Article 50 was triggered; that and the Parliamentary arithmetic means there was always a high chance we would end up in the current interesting times. I voted Remain, not out of any affection for the EU, but because of the law of unintended consequences: the campaigns on both sides were woeful, and it was evident no one in government or advocating on either side of the debate had really thought about the consequences, and what would need to be done. Ah well. Interesting times anyhow.