By MPs overwhelmingly back Brexit trade deal as transition period ends
MPs have overwhelmingly approved the Brexit trade deal to pave the way for the UK-EU agreement to come into force at 11pm tonight.
The House of Commons backed the agreement struck between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the EU on Christmas Eve, by 521 votes to 73.
Most Labour MPs voted in favour after leader Sir Keir Starmer expressed that a:
“Thin deal was better than no deal”.
PM Boris Johnson thanked MPs and said:
“The destiny of this great country now resides firmly in our hands”.
Later stating that he feels the deal will allow:
“A new relationship between Britain and the EU as sovereign equals”.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs the act was then granted royal assent by the Queen.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed the deal earlier on Wednesday in Brussels.
It comes four-and-a-half years after the UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum.
The deal will come into force at 11pm today (Thursday), but although the European Parliament has begun its scrutiny of the 1,246-page document, it will not get a chance to ratify it formally until early in the new year.
The deal has, however, been given the unanimous backing of ambassadors from the 27 nations and the member states gave their written approval on Tuesday.
