Following a tumultuous three-and-a-half year exit, the UK is set to officially leave the European Union on Jan. 31 at 11 p.m. London time. The long-awaited exit marks the end of the UK's 47-year membership with the EU.
The UK will next enter into a transition period as it attempts to negotiate a way to work with EU regulations before the final deadline of Dec. 31, 2020 is reached. In the event of a "no deal" scenario, the UK would default back to the rules of the World Trade Organization.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage gave a final speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday, celebrating what he called the "final chapter, the end of the road."
Nigel, who spent 27 years campaigning for UK's exit from the EU, said Friday night "marks the point of no return, once we've left we are never coming back and the rest, frankly, is detail."
At last the day comes when we break free. A massive victory for the people against the establishment.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 31, 2020
In his speech on Wednesday, Farage described how he came to oppose what he calls the European project. He said "the British are too big to bully" and is hopeful that UK's exit will start a movement that will make its way across Europe.
"I'm hoping this begins the end of this project," Farage told the European Parliament. "It's a bad project. It isn't just undemocratic. It's antidemocratic, and it puts in that front row -- it gives people power without accountability. People who cannot be held to account by the electorate, and that is an unacceptable structure. Indeed, there is a historic battle going on now across the west in Europe, America and elsewhere. It is globalism verse populism. And you may loath popularism, but I'll tell you a funny thing. It's becoming very popular. ... I know you're gonna miss us. I know you want to ban our national flags but we're gonna wave you goodbye and we look forward to working with you as sovereign ..."
Farage's microphone was cut as he and others disobeyed the Parliament's rules by waving the Union Flag.
I hope Brexit begins the end of the whole European project. It’s not just undemocratic, it is anti-democratic.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 30, 2020
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I hope that the courage and conviction Britain has shown will lead the rest of Europe by example.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 30, 2020
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