On January 31, after 3 years of debating, the British Parliament officially withdrew the UK from the European Union, a coalition of 28 nations promoting free trade and free movement of people. The first talks of Brexit, or “British exit,” occurred as early as 1975, just 2 years after the UK joined the European Economic Community, now called the European Union. However, in this first vote, 67% of citizens supported remaining in the bloc.
This issue was not put to a vote again until June of 2016, when 52% of UK residents voted in favor of Brexit. This was a result of the growing sentiment in the UK that the EU impeded national sovereignty. In addition, the EU had failed to address and resolve the economic issues that had been developing since 2008, such as the 20% unemployment rate in Southern Europe. Following the resignation of then-Prime Minister David Cameron soon after this poll, Theresa May rose to power.
During her time as Prime Minister, she began to negotiate the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU. This continued until Boris Johnson, whose first priority was the completion of Brexit, was elected as the new prime minister in December of 2019. Just over a month later, on January 31, 2020, the UK officially exited the EU. The UK will now enter a transition period, which will end December 31, 2020. During this time, the UK and the EU will discuss trade policies, law enforcement, and other international affairs.
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