Brexit Day as the UK leaves the European Union

Friday, January 31 – coined as 'Brexit Day' by supporters – marks the "dawn of a new era", according to Boris Johnson.

But the prime minister has insisted Brexit marks "not an end but a beginning".

Though a significant milestone, little will change when the clock strikes 11pm today. The UK now enters into a transition period, during which it and the 27 EU member states will try and forge a trade deal before December 31, 2020.

Brexit has dominated politics in the UK since the June 2016 referendum, in which 52.1 per cent of voters backed the leave campaign. The referendum result prompted the resignation of prime minister David Cameron and has been the central issue of the two subsequent general elections, as well as fuelling political debate and division across the country.

­— A country 'at a crossroads'

In an address to the nation on Friday evening, Mr Johnson called for unity, saying: "Our job as the government – my job – is to bring this country together and take us forward."

He added: "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, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage – a key player in the movement to leave the EU – will lead a celebration in Parliament Square, Westminster. Downing Street was illuminated with a light show, and a new commemorative Brexit 50 pence coin entered circulations.

But while some Britons celebrated the moment the UK leaves the continental trading bloc, others marked Brexit Day in a more sombre mood. Across the country, candlelit vigils were held to mourn the severing of ties between the UK and EU.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Brexit left Britain "at a crossroads".

"As we leave the European Union, whatever side we took in the Brexit debate, we now need to bring the country together to shape our common future, work to rebuild and strengthen our communities, and eliminate poverty and injustice in our society," he said.

­— Local messages of unity

In the Gwent region, four of the five local authorities voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.

In Blaenau Gwent, the 'leave' vote was 62 per cent, in Torfaen it was 59.8 per cent, in Caerphilly it was 57.6 per cent, and in Newport it was 56 per cent.

In Monmouthshire, 50.4 per cent of residents voted to remain in the EU.

Speaking to the Argus on Brexit Day, Monmouth’s Conservative MP David Davies, who campaigned to leave the EU in 2016, said: “I am delighted that we have finally honoured the promise made to the British people to carry out the result of the 2016 referendum."

He added: "The decision has been made and I hope we can all work together to enable Britain to take full advantage of the opportunities that Brexit opens up.

“We are the fifth-biggest economy in the world and we can now take full control of our money, our borders, and our laws."

Newport East MP Jessica Morden (Labour) said all communities "share the same desire for greater investment in public services, creating good jobs for the future, tackling climate change and building a fairer society – regardless of how they voted four years ago".

She said the priority must be for the UK to secure a trade deal with the EU, with Newport's steel trade relying on access to European markets.

“I’ll be working with other steel MPs to push for the industry to be prioritised in trade negotiations," she added.

Ruth Jones, Labour MP for Newport West, said the coming months were a chance to reunite communities divided since the 2016 vote.

"Being a new MP coming in after the referendum I accept the fact that we are leaving the EU," she said. "We need to make sure we heal the divide between leavers and remainers, and work together to get the best possible deal for all of us."

Torfaen MP Nick Thomas-Symonds, also Labour, said it was time to move on from the "lack of respect" shown in the national debate over the last few years.

“It is time for our politics to move on," he said. “I will continue to make the case for the best trading arrangements with the EU27 and, indeed, other countries, that protect jobs and livelihoods in Torfaen and I will always speak up to protect our National Health Service.”

And Labour's Islwyn MP Chris Evans also called for a united future.

“Whatever way we voted, we now have to work hard to ensure we make the best of our departure," he said. “We have to face the future with confidence and embrace whatever opportunities come our way."

­— The Brexit Timeline

May 7, 2015 – David Cameron's Conservative Party retains power in a general election. The PM had made a referendum on the UK's EU membership a manifesto commitment.

April 15, 2016 – Campaigning begins on 'leaving' or 'remaining' in the EU. Conservative MPs are free to back either camp; all other parties (except UKIP) campaign to remain in the EU. Prominent leave supporters include Boris Johnson (Con.), Michael Gove (Con.), and UKIP's Nigel Farage.

June 23 – Referendum day, and 51.9 per cent of voters opt to leave the EU. Research finds older voters and lower-income regions have the strongest 'leave' majorities. The following day, Mr Cameron resigns as PM.

July 13 – Theresa May becomes PM and David Davis is named secretary of state for exiting the EU, ahead of the first negotiations.

December 7 – MPs vote in favour of triggering Article 50, the EU mechanism by which a member can leave the bloc.

January 24, 2017 – The UK Supreme Court rules that parliament must pass an act if it is to trigger Article 50. The bill receives Royal Assent two months later.

March 29 – Mrs May invokes Article 50, beginning a two-year process of leaving the EU.

June 8 – In a snap general election, Ms May's Conservatives lose their parliamentary majority and enter into a coalition government with the DUP.

June 19 – formal Brexit negotiations begin, with Michel Barnier heading the EU side of talks.

June 6, 2018 – Mrs May proposes the Chequers agreement for a future relationship with the EU. The plan prompts the resignations of foreign secretary Mr Johnson and Brexit secretary Mr Davis (replaced by Dominic Raab).

November 14 – the government publishes a white paper outlining the proposed Brexit withdrawal agreement. Mr Raab resigns the following day (replaced by Stephen Barclay).

November 25 – the EU 27 member states endorse the withdrawal agreement.

January 15, 2019 – the government loses a meaningful vote on the withdrawal agreement by 432 votes to 202.

March 12 – a second meaningful vote also ends in government defeat, by 391 votes to 242, prompting the government to ask for an extension to the Article 50 period.

March 29 – a third vote, on a modified version of the withdrawal agreement, ends in government defeat by 344 votes to 286. Mrs May asks for a further extension of the Article 50 period.

May 23 – Mr Farage, now leading the Brexit Party, oversees a sweeping victory in the European Parliamentary Elections, winning 29 of the UK's 73 seats.

May 24 – Mrs May announces she will resign on June 7.

July 24 – Mr Johnson is named PM after a comfortable victory in the Conservative Party's leadership contest.

September 4 – 22 Conservative MPs defy the whip and vote for the Benn Act, which requires the PM to seek a Brexit extension if no deal has been struck by October 31.

September 24 – The Supreme Court rules the PM's advice to the Queen to prorogue parliament was unlawful. Parliament is recalled.

October 17 – The UK and European Commission agree a new withdrawal agreement with revised terms on Northern Ireland.

October 22 – the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill passes a second reading by 329 votes to 299, but MPs defeat a motion to fast-track the bill through parliament.

October 28 – The EU agrees to a third Brexit extension, this time to January 31, 2020.

October 29 – MPs vote in favour of a government bill for an early General Election that winter.

December 12 – With a slogan of 'Get Brexit Done', Mr Johnson's Conservatives win an 80-seat majority in the election, wiping out Labour support in many of the party's heartland seats.

December 20 – The Withdrawal Agreement passes its second reading in the Commons.

January 23, 2020 – The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 receives royal assent.

January 29 – The European Parliament votes to accept the withdrawal agreement by 642 votes to 49.

January 31 – The UK formally leaves the EU.