Britain Leaves the European Union, But Brexit Is Far From Over

U.K. and Europe have 11 months to decide future relationship
Prime Minister still has to heal divisions caused by 2016 vote

Boris Johnson says Brexit offers the U.K. an opportunity for “renewal and change.”(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Joe Mayes

January 31, 2020 at 11:00 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The U.K. has left the European Union after almost half a century of membership, setting the stage for 11 months of potentially fraught talks that will determine whether the two sides can avert a chaotic divorce.

There were no bongs from Big Ben to mark the moment of Britain’s departure from the bloc, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson still threw a party and a light show, while Brexit supporters held a rally in London’s Parliament Square. In Brussels, officials removed the Union Jack flags outside the European Parliament building, saving one to be stored in a museum of EU history.