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A new era has begun for the United Kingdom after completing its official separation from the European Union.
The UK stopped following EU rules at 23:00 GMT, as alternative arrangements for travel, trade, immigration and security cooperation came into effect.
Boris Johnson said the UK has ‘the freedom in our hands’ and the ability to do things ‘differently and better’ now that the long Brexit process is over.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the UK remains a “friend and ally”.
British ministers have warned that there will be disruption in the days and weeks to come, as new rules apply and British companies trading with the continent accept the changes.
Officials have insisted the new border systems are “ready to go” amid fears of delays at ports.
The UK officially left the 27-member political and economic bloc on January 31, three and a half years after the British public voted to leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
But he has stuck to EU trade rules over the past 11 months as the two sides negotiated their future economic partnership.
After trade negotiations collapsed, a landmark treaty was finally struck on Christmas Eve. It became law in the UK on Wednesday after being approved by Parliament.
Under the new agreements, which entered into force at midnight Central European Time, UK manufacturers will have duty-free access to the EU’s internal market, meaning there will be no import taxes on goods crossing Great Britain and the Continent.
But it means more paperwork for businesses and people traveling to EU countries as uncertainty persists over what will happen to banks and services, which are a big part of the economy. British.
Mr Johnson – who was a key figure in the holiday campaign in the 2016 referendum and who pulled the UK out of the EU in January six months after becoming Prime Minister – said it was a ” incredible moment ”for the UK.
In his New Year’s message, the Prime Minister said the UK is now “free to do things differently, and if necessary better, than our friends in the EU”.
“We have our freedom in our hands and it’s up to us to make the most of it,” he said.
He added that the combination of the Brexit deal and the Oxford vaccine rollout means “we are creating the potential trampoline for the national rebound”.
Britain has just become a fully independent country again – making our own decisions about our own affairs.
Thanks to everyone who worked with me and @BorisJohnson to bring us here over the past 18 months.
We have a bright future ahead of us. We can now build a better country for all of us.
– David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) December 31, 2020
Lord Frost, the UK’s chief negotiator, tweeted that Britain had become a ‘fully independent country’ again while veteran Tory MP Sir Bill Cash said the result was a ‘victory for sovereignty and democracy”.
But opponents of Brexit argue the situation in the country will be worse than it was in the EU.
Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on 🏴❤️🇪🇺❤️🏴 pic.twitter.com/qJMImoz3y0
– Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) December 31, 2020
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, whose ambition is to bring an independent Scotland back to the EU, tweeted: ‘Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.
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