Britain Has Officially Left the EU

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson argues that Brexit will bolster the strength of the British people. (Flickr)

A countdown clock projected on 10 Downing Street signified the United Kingdom’s official departure from the European Union (EU) on January 31. More than three years after the referendum to leave the EU, both the British and European parliaments have now ratified the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.      

The 2019 snap election allowed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party to gain control of Parliament, providing him with enough support to “get Brexit done.” The U.K. now enters into an 11-month transition period to negotiate new treaties with the EU. Although the U.K. will no longer send members to the European Parliament, it will continue to contribute to the EU budget until the end of 2020. 

Ending its 47-year membership, the event was marked with mixed emotions reflected in the U.K.’s major newspaper headlines. The Guardian labeled Brexit “the biggest gamble in a generation,” while the Daily Mail called it “a new dawn” for a Britain that is “free and independent once more.” 

Statements from officials were equally mixed. Johnson expressed his understanding of the people’s hope, anxiety, and tiredness from the process but concluded that ultimately “our job as the government… is to bring this country together now and take us forward.” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed regret over Britain’s decision, remarking that “strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union.” 

This transition period heightens many domestic issues inside the U.K. Scotland, which largely supported remaining in the EU, recently voted in its own Parliament to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. The decision needs the official approval of the British parliament to move forward, but Johnson has already denied the same request once in January. In terms of international challenges, Von der Leyen believes that “it is basically impossible” to address and establish negotiations for all the issues between the U.K. and the EU within this short transition period. However, Johnson insists that he will not seek an extension. Von der Leyen elaborated that the two sides should prioritize issues that do not have any previously established treaties. If no agreements are reached, the U.K. will adopt the World Trade Organization’s international trade standards.   

This historic moment represents a potential shift in power dynamics on the global stage. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demonstrated optimism toward trading with post-Brexit Britain because they no longer have to follow EU standards, which Pompeo said served as trade barriers. Some insist that a trade deal could bolster the U.K. economy and strengthen the relationship between it and the U.S. However, Steven Blockmans, the head of foreign affairs at the European Center for Policy Studies, explains that the EU prioritizes “balanced relations” between China and the U.S., and “if the UK has a closer relationship with either, it could create problems for Europe.”