In a meaningful vote on Friday, the newly-elected, Tory-controlled UK Parliament voted in support of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement. According to the official Brexit procedure, now the United Kingdom can safely exit the bloc on January 31.
The United Kingdom will then remain aligned with the European Union during a transition period when the details of the relationship between the UK and the other member states will be defined and renegotiated.
Besides the agreement itself, Parliament also supported the proposed timetable for discussing the bill. That refers to a time when the legislation will remain open for discussion and amendments proposed by MPs to further modify it before it is finalized into law. At the current pace, it is expected that work and votes on the bill will be completed by January 10.
The most notable resistance to Boris Johnson’s withdrawal bill came from the Labour Party, which is officially in opposition. Most of Labour supports Remain, though several MPs still chose to vote in favor of the bill.
Moreover, the SNP and DUP both voted against the agreement. The DUP is concerned that under the current agreement, Northern Ireland will be treated differently from the rest of the UK. They fear segregation and have encouraged the Prime Minister to use the transition period to negotiate a trade policy that would eliminate the need for customs control between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
The SNP’s position is also understandable, considering Scotland voted Remain by a conclusive majority. Just a couple of years ago, the promise of being a part of the EU was the only thing that made the Scottish vote to stay in the UK in an independence referendum. Now that their vote has been disrespected and the promise of the previous referendum made null and void, many speculate that the UK might have to deal with a new independence push from Scotland.
