The Brexit debate does not end with our departure from the EU tonight

Editorial: The prospect of a significant US-UK trade deal being completed within a mere five years seems over-optimistic at best, at worst a folly of magical thinking

Thursday 30 January 2020 21:03 GMT
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British MEPs and their assistants mark the UK’s withdrawal from the EU at the European parliament in Brussels
British MEPs and their assistants mark the UK’s withdrawal from the EU at the European parliament in Brussels

When Britain joined the European project in 1973 it was seen as a voyage to an unknown destination. Today, on the day the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, we again embark on an unknown journey.

Although The Independent supported our membership of the EU, we remain optimistic – about the medium term, at any rate. As Hamish McRae, our economics commentator, has said, Britain was always only “half in” the EU; now we will be “half out”. The change in our relationship may not be, therefore, as dramatic as some of the fears inspired by the talk of a hard-break Brexit.

In the short term, however, the risks of leaving the single market remain clear and present. Just because Boris Johnson defied expectations in securing a withdrawal agreement – and a general election to deliver it – does not mean he is guaranteed even the minimal trade deal the country needs by the end of this year.

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