The UK is poised at a historic juncture, as it formally becomes the first country to leave the European Union (EU) at 2300 GMT on Friday (Jan 31).
The EU Withdrawal Agreement, or the divorce bill which cost the UK around GBP 30 billion, has now been formally passed by the European Parliament 621 votes to 49, which means the UK’s exit from the 28-member economic bloc on Friday remains a mere formality.
It would then set off a transition period until the end of December this year, during which time the UK is free to conduct trade negotiations not only for a new agreement with the EU but also around the world. It, therefore, is a landmark in the process set off by the Brexit vote in the Jun 2016 referendum.
“Friday marks an important moment in the history of our United Kingdom,” said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in his Brexit message.
“No matter how you voted in 2016, it is the time to look ahead with confidence to the global, trail-blazing country we will become over the next decade and heal past divisions. That is what I will be doing on 31 January and I urge everyone across the UK to do the same,” he said.
Downing Street has set out a series of activities to mark the historic moment of the UK leaving the economic bloc after 47 years.
A commemorative 50-pence coin will come into circulation, with Johnson being presented the very first Brexit coin which reads ‘Peace prosperity and friendship with all nations’. The coin has come under some criticism for a missing comma after peace, but around 13,000 people have already registered their interest in the coin with the UK’s Royal Mint.
Other activities to mark Brexit Day will include a Special Cabinet on tour – with the meeting of Johnson and his top team set for an undisclosed location in the north of England as a message of unity.
The UK PM will later address the nation just before the final Brexit hour, marked by a commemorative light display in Downing Street. The UK’s Union Jack flags will line Parliament Square and the Mall in London on Friday, with government buildings in Whitehall lit up in its red, white and blue colours throughout the evening.