The House of Commons has voted overwhelmingly in favor of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill, finally paving the way for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union later this month after more than four decades of membership. The next instance is the upper House of Lords. The deal is expected to enter into force in time for the scheduled exit date on January 31.
The bill has cleared its biggest hurdle with the vote that followed a third reading in Parliament, in which 330 voted for and 231 against, putting an end to three years of political wrangling following the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Little will change in a transition phase by the end of 2020. This window of time is intended to serve as a concrete agreement between London and Brussels, for example with regard to a security partnership and a trade agreement. It is still not clear whether eleven months will be enough.