Britain begins the day as a member of the European Union. How it ends the day will be a matter of debate that will last awhile, jilllawless writes.
Union flags hang outside Parliament near the statue of Winston Churchill in London, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Although Britain formally leaves the European Union on Jan. 31, little will change until the end of the year. Britain will still adhere to the four freedoms of the tariff-free single market – free movement of goods, services, capital and people.
It’s the first time a country has left the EU, and many in the bloc regard it as a sad day. In Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen are due to sketch out the EU’s first steps as a group of 27, rather than 28. Britain was never a wholehearted EU member, but actually leaving the bloc was long considered a fringe idea. It gradually gained strength within the Conservative Party, which has a wing of fierce “euroskeptics” — opponents of EU membership. Former Prime Minister David Cameron eventually agreed to hold a referendum, saying he wanted to settle the issue once and for all.
In Edinburgh, the EU flag will not be lowered outside the Scottish Parliament on Friday night. Lawmakers there voted to keep it as a symbol of their opposition to Brexit. Scotland’s pro-EU government will also light up two government buildings in the blue and yellow of the EU flag on Friday. London, which is home to more than 1 million EU citizens, also voted by a wide margin to stay in the bloc. Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has linked the Brexit vote to a rise in xenophobic abuse, said Britain’s capital would remain “a truly global, European city.”
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
For Brexit-weary Britain, formal split from Europe landing 'with a rather dull thud'Britain and the European Union formalize their split on Friday. But the real separation anxiety is yet to come.
Read more »
UK's Johnson marks Brexit day as 'Dawn of a new era'British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the face of the Brexit campaign, says he will celebrate 'respectfully' to mark the day the United Kingdom ends its more than 40-year membership of the European Union.
Read more »
U.K. consumer confidence rises ahead of Brexit dayBritish consumer confidence picked up in January as the nation's public grew more optimistic about the course of the economy on the eve of the U.K.'s departure from the European Union. An index of consumer confidence gathered by market-research firm GfK rose two points to minus nine in January. That marked the first time the measure has risen for two consecutive months since September 2017, as consumer confidence languished during an extended period of uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
Read more »
What will actually change after the UK leaves the EU on Brexit day? - Business InsiderThe UK is leaving the EU this evening after three-and-a-half years of political upheaval. Here's what will actually change.
Read more »
Pompeo and Johnson discuss U.S.-UK free-trade dealU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson dis...
Read more »
‘Les Misérables’ Director Ladj Ly Talks About The Real-Life Rebellion That Inspired His Oscar-Nominated FilmLadj Ly and Djebril Zonga, the writer-director and co-star, respectively, of the Oscar-nominated Les Misérables, arrived for the Awardsline screening of the film on a very good day: France’s …
Read more »