Boris Johnson will deliver a plea for the country to move on from Brexit on Friday night as the UK finally leaves the EU.
In an address to be broadcast shortly before Britain’s departure at 11pm, the Prime Minister will insist that Brexit marks ‘not an end but a beginning’.
And in a sign of the new Government’s changed approach, he will convene a symbolic Cabinet meeting this afternoon in Sunderland, the first city to declare for Brexit when the 2016 referendum results came out.
Boris Johnson will deliver a plea for the country to move on from Brexit on Friday night as the UK finally leaves the EU
Buildings on the Grand Place pulsate with lights in the red, white and blue of the British flag during a British-themed evening titled ‘Brussels Calling’ sponsored by the city the day after the European Parliament ratified the Brexit agreement on January 30, 2020 in Brussels, Belgium
Tomorrow night he will stress his belief that the referendum was a vote not just to leave the EU, but also for lasting change in neglected areas of the country. Mr Johnson will describe Brexit as ‘the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act’. He will go on: ‘It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances – your family’s life chances – should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.’
At 11pm on Friday – midnight on the Continent – Britain will legally leave the EU and enter a ‘transition period’ which runs until December 31. During this time the UK will remain subject to EU laws and free movement of people will continue.
On Monday Mr Johnson will deliver a major speech setting out his approach to both Brexit and national renewal. Sources said he would be ‘very frank’ about his aims for the negotiations with Brussels and his determination to allow Britain to ‘diverge’ from the EU, even if this means the introduction of some trade barriers.
London unfurls the flags for Brexit as the Mall in London towards Buckingham Palace is transformed into a sea of patriotic Red White & Blue
He will also spell out his determination to ensure that the Brexit transition period will not be extended beyond the end of this year, despite warnings from Brussels that there is not enough time to complete a comprehensive free trade agreement. Mr Johnson will warn that failure to strike a trade deal by the end of the year would lead to the introduction of tariffs on goods entering from the EU, such as German cars, French cheese and Italian wines.
One Government source said: ‘Theresa May made two crucial mistakes – she wasn’t clear about what she wanted, and she wasn’t clear that she was prepared to leave with or without a deal.
‘We are not going to make those mistakes. We want a good free trade deal, without alignment, but we are prepared to leave without one if we have to.’ Mr Johnson will also reject calls for the EU to be given automatic rights to UK fishing grounds – and for the European Court of Justice to be the arbiter of disputes arising from a new trade deal.
Mr Johnson has ordered only low key events to mark Britain’s departure tonight. Union flags will fly in the Mall and Parliament Square and a light show will be displayed on the front of No10. A Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister would ‘celebrate Brexit’ with a small party for staff.
Leading Eurosceptic Steve Baker called for Brexiteers to avoid triumphalism, saying: ‘I will celebrate in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time.’
Fellow Brexiteer Peter Bone called for the introduction of a bank holiday named United Kingdom Day so ‘people will have the day off and say thank goodness for that Brexit vote’.
Britain is finally set to leave the EU, but what happens next? The UK and Brussels are braced for 11 months of crunch trade talks before a ‘cliff-edge’ in December (and Boris Johnson wants deals with Japan AND the US in 2020 as well)
By Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor for MailOnline
Britain is finally set to leave the European Union but its dealings with the bloc are far from over.
The last three years have almost entirely been about hammering out the terms of the UK’s divorce from Brussels.
Now the two sides must try to agree all of the details of their future relationship before a standstill transition period ends in December.
The EU is adamant that 11 months is not enough time to get the job done, but Boris Johnson is refusing to agree to an extension, setting up a fresh Brexit ‘cliff-edge’ at the end of the year.
Here is a breakdown of all the key dates in the next chapter of the Brexit saga.
Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, pictured in Downing Street on January 8, will spend 2020 trying to hammer out a post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and Brussels
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator pictured in Strasbourg on January 14, will lead talks for the EU
January 31, 2020: The UK formally leaves the European Union at 11pm after more than three years of tortuous wrangling. The two sides enter into a standstill transition period during which they will try to agree the terms of their post-Brexit relationship. EU rules will continue to apply to the UK for the duration of the transition. The Department for Exiting the European Union ceases to exist.
February 2020: The UK will be free to pursue trade deals with whoever it wants. Japan and the US are expected to be Britain’s top targets with initial talks likely to start immediately after Brexit. The UK will also want to kickstart talks with the EU – but the bloc will make Britain wait.
End of February/early March 2020: Before trade talks can start between the UK and the EU, the bloc must agree a negotiating mandate. This mandate will set out the broad terms of what the EU will be striving for during negotiations and will also spell out Brussels’ red lines. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has suggested the mandate may not be finalised until the end of February or early March.
March 2020: Formal trade talks between the UK and the EU are expected to begin. A group of 40 officials called ‘Taskforce Europe’ and based out of the Cabinet Office will lead negotiations for the UK. The taskforce will be headed up by David Frost, a diplomat and one-time business lobbyist who was appointed Mr Johnson’s Europe adviser last year. Mr Frost is expected to negotiate directly with the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.
April/May 2020: Trade talks between the UK and EU – as well as talks with other nations – will intensify. If major progress has not been made with Brussels then there is likely to be increasing pressure on Mr Johnson to agree to extend the transition period. The terms of Britain’s divorce from the bloc state that the standstill will finish on December 31 and the PM has been adamant he will not agree to an extension. But the Withdrawal Agreement does include a pressure valve mechanism which states that the transition can be prolonged by one or two years if both sides agree. The EU has already said it does not believe the transition period is long enough to finalise a comprehensive agreement so if talks stall in the first half of the year then Brussels could step up demands for a delay.
June/July 2020: The Withdrawal Agreement states that a decision to extend the transition period must be agreed by both sides before July 1, 2020 if it is to go ahead. The PM is expected to stick to his guns and refuse to agree to a delay, setting the stage for transition to end in December, with or without a full deal in place.
July to November 2020: Assuming no transition extension has been agreed, the second half of the year will be fraught with activity as the UK and EU rush to get everything decided. The UK will also be hoping that by this time agreements with Japan and the US will be taking shape, putting pressure on Brussels to work quickly.
Brexit plagued Theresa May’s time as prime minister as she failed to persuade MPs to support her EU divorce deal. She is pictured at a summit in Brussels in March last year
September/October 2020: Downing Street is thought to want to have a trade deal with Japan in the books by the autumn to show the EU and the rest of the world it means business. It would be the UK’s first post-Brexit trade deal.
November 3, 2020: The date of the US presidential election. The White House has said it wants a trade agreement with the UK in place before the end of the year and will not want talks to clash with Donald Trump’s bid for re-election. That means a US-UK trade deal could be done and dusted before November.
December 2020: The UK and EU will either be on course to end the transition period with a full agreement in place or just a partial agreement. EU bosses have suggested that a lack of time will mean having to prioritise certain issues during talks, potentially leaving others to be resolved at a later date. The UK believes it is possible to get everything done. If no extension has been agreed then the two sides will be going their separate ways regardless.
December 31, 2020: The point at which the Brexit transition period will come to an end and when EU rules and regulations will cease to apply to the UK.
January 1, 2021: EU freedom of movement will be brought to an end and the UK’s new post-Brexit immigration system will be rolled out. The Australian-style points-based system is expected to treat migrants from across the world the same, ending preferential treatment for those from Europe.
This is the REAL Brexit party! Nigel Farage promises to celebrate Britain’s long-awaited EU exit in style tomorrow – despite no Big Ben’s bongs and no BOOZE
By Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor for MailOnline
A defiant Nigel Farage today insisted Brexiteers will have a good time at his Brexit party despite a ban on booze, live music and fireworks.
The Brexit Party leader claimed the ‘Establishment’ had done everything it possibly could to make the event in Parliament Square tomorrow night a ‘damp squib’.
But he said ‘none of that matters’ and the restrictions would not stop him and his fellow Leave voters from marking a ‘remarkable piece of history’.
He told MailOnline: ‘Everything that could be done to make the event a damp squib has been done by the Establishment.
‘From Big Ben which was able to bong on Remembrance Sunday and for New Year, to no fireworks and no alcohol.
‘But do you know what? None of that matters. We are there to mark and celebrate two things.
‘One, a remarkable piece of history. And two, the victory of ordinary people against the political establishment. It can rain if it wants to. It does not matter.’
A taxi unfurls the flags for Brexit as The Mall is transformed into a sea of patriotic red, white and blue ahead of the EU exit tomorrow
Parliament Square was also today being readied for the Brexit night celebrations as workers put up dozens of Union flags
Remainers have accused Brexiteers of gloating over their victory but some Eurosceptics are expected to stay away from public celebrations
Nigel Farage, pictured in London today, claimed the ‘Establishment’ had attempted to sabotage his plans for a Brexit party in Westminster tomorrow night
Buildings on Brussels’ Grand Place display the Union Jack colours during an event called ‘Brussels Calling,’ sponsored by the capital city
Stop Brexit Man with a placard outside Parliament ahead of Brexit happening tomorrow, with the preparations going on all around him
There will also be events to mark Brexit in Brussels with Green MEP Magid Magid hosting a ‘Brexit’s s***, but let’s party anyway’ gathering in Place du Luxembourg.
But that event tomorrow night is likely to be different in tone to Mr Farage’s which was given the go ahead by the Greater London Authority earlier this month.
Workers were busy this afternoon putting up Union flags around the square and along The Mall, ready for the celebrations.
But the event could be quieter than originally expected because the area outside Parliament does not have a licence for live music.
That means any music played must only be incidental to proceedings – for example if it is played in between speeches.
The organisers – the Leave Means Leave campaign group – have also been barred from setting off fireworks while Parliament Square is part of a controlled drinking zone which means revelers will be unable to consume alcohol.
Despite the restrictions, the Brexit Party has labelled the event a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ party.
Proceedings will start at 9pm and end shortly after the UK leaves the EU at 11pm.
A handful of speakers have been confirmed for the party, including Mr Farage, Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice and Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe.
An email sent to Brexit Party supporters said: ‘We would also like to ask everyone to come in good voice to sing some patriotic songs and bring along as many Union flags as they can, to wave in a patriotic display of pride.
‘Finally, we want to make you aware that Westminster is a ‘Controlled Drinking Zone’ so it is advisable that you do not bring alcohol along.
‘We look forward to seeing you all there. Let’s make it a night to remember.’
The organisers had fought for Big Ben – currently undergoing massive renovations – to bong for Brexit at 11pm but their efforts were rejected by parliamentary authorities.
Remainers have accused Brexiteers of gloating over their victory and a number of prominent Eurosceptics have said they will not be celebrating in public due to the need to unite the country.
Mr Farage’s gathering outside the Palace of Westminster will coincide with official government celebrations to mark the moment.
Boris Johnson will start tomorrow by hosting a meeting of his Cabinet at a location outside of London as he tries to hammer home his desire to ‘level up’ the rest of the UK.
He is then expected to address the nation tomorrow night before the clock strikes 11pm.
There will also be a countdown clock to the moment of departure with a Downing Street light show also planned.
But in a sign that the government wants to move on from the UK’s departure from the bloc as quickly as possible, it is understood there will be no Brexit-related ministerial activity over the weekend.
In fact, the government is expected to keep quiet on Brexit until the PM delivers a major speech at some point next week when he will set out his plans for trade negotiations with the EU.
Summing up the PM’s desire to move on from Brexit and focus on other things, one government source today said flatly: ‘Brexit will be done on Saturday.’
Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square in central London kept a close eye on preparations for the Brexit party this afternoon
Events to mark Brexit have also been planned in European cities. The city of Brussels organised a ‘Brussels Calling’ event to highlight its friendship with the UK. An activist is pictured waving flags in Grand Place, Brussels, today
Numerous anti-Brexit campaigners attended the event in the Belgian capital just one day after MEPs rubber-stamped the Brexit divorce deal
Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street today during a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, is expected to address the nation tomorrow night before the moment of Brexit at 11pm