The UK officially left the 27-member political and economic bloc on the 31st of January 2019, three and half years after the UK public voted to leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Sticking to the EU's trading rules for 11 months while the two sides negotiated their future economic partnership.
How did it all start? In a public referendum held on the 23th June 2016, the majority of those who voted chose to leave the European Union. I was a remainder myself, and many of the people I know who voted were not 100% sure which way to vote. Many people have now said if they had the chance to vote again, they would have voted to remain in the EU.
The UK had long been expected to leave the European Union on the 29th of March 2019. However, following a House of Commons vote on the 14th of March 2019, the Government sought permission from the EU to extend Article 50 and agree a later Brexit date. On the 28th of October 2019, the EU Ambassadors agreed to a further Brexit extension to the 31th of January 2020.
It has taken, several years, much discussion, a national election a new Prime minster and leader of the opposition party. On the 12th of December 2019, Boris Johnson won a majority in the UK General Election and reaffirmed his commitment to ‘get Brexit done ‘by the 31th of January 2020.
On 23 January 2020, the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 received Royal Assent. This is the legislation that will implement the withdrawal agreement negotiated by the UK and the EU. On the 31th of January 2020, the UK was to leave the EU and enter a transition period. The transition period ended on the 31th of December 2020 and the United Kingdom, finally left the EU single market and customs union.
So, is that it then? Most of us in the UK have not been able to figure out exactly what this deal was, however much we tried to follow! Just as no-one totally understood the reasons for leaving. Deal or No deal have summed up the last few years.
Some people thought we were actually leaving Europe,
no, we are Europeans and still part of Europe. We do care about our
European friends, who most likely think we don’t. Its all like a bad divorce,
with passing time it could hopefully become more amiable.
So, what is actually changing? Before Brexit, the U.K. was part of the E.U.'s single market that allows people, goods, services and money to travel freely around the continent with little or no checks at all. In December, the two sides agreed a new trade deal to replace their old partnership. Businesses and travellers, alike have been waking up to the reality that the new system has the potential for serious disruption to their old life’s.
Brexit has also caused disruption inside the U.K. itself. Extra paperwork has meant delays and empty supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. but is treated differently in terms of trade under the new post-Brexit deal. Even large retailers like M&S have had difficulties. Some British online retailers have said they are no longer able to ship to Northern Ireland. (even though it's all part of the same country)
This new era has begun for the United Kingdom after it
completed its formal separation from the European Union. Replacement
arrangements for travel, trade, immigration and security co-operation came into
force when the UK stopped following EU rules.
Boris Johnson said the UK had "freedom in our hands
and the ability to do things differently and better" now the
long Brexit process was over. But opponents of leaving the EU maintain the country
will be worse-off. In Brussels, there is said to be, a sense of relief that the
long Brexit process is over, but there is regret still at Brexit itself. Basically,
the European Union thinks that Brexit makes both the EU and the UK weaker. This
is a valid point.
Whether we like it or not, and most of us don’t, significant
changes are here, for trade, travel, security and immigration and more changes
could well become more apparent in the months ahead.
It’s a time of great change, uncertainty and sadness that
this should have even happened. But life goes on Post- Brexit and the only way
is forward and to work with it. I hope my many ex-pats friends are ok, as like
in Ireland they are experiencing the worst deal in all of this.
I love travel and have always hoped to retire overseas and hope
I still can!
