Brexit – the key moments: From David Cameron’s Bloomberg Speech to Theresa May’s withdrawal deal and Boris Johnson’s plan to suspend parliament
THE UK is just weeks away from the Halloween Brexit Day as the Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks to quit — deal or no deal.
As we continue to rumble towards the exit, here is a timeline of events so far.
Cameron’s Bloomberg Speech
In January 2013, opposition leader David Cameron gave what came to be known as the Bloomberg speech.
Cameron, a pro-European Union Tory, pledged an in/out referendum if the Conservatives won the 2015 election.
He said if his party was elected he wanted to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU.
A key element of this was controlling numbers of immigrants following massive emigration from Eastern Europe.
After this he was to give people the "simple choice" between staying in under those new terms, or to leave.
Essentially this was aimed at ending a long-running feud within his party between those who wanted to quit the bloc and those who wanted to remain.
Some around Cameron – including George Osborne — were understood to have urged against a referendum, warning it could backfire and lead to Brexit.
But the PM thought it was worth the risk.
Tories win a majority in 2015
Cameron then unexpectedly led the Tories to a majority in 2015.
This meant that there was now no way out of agreeing to the referendum he had promised in 2013.
After this victory he entered negotiations with the EU to try and get the UK special status within the European Union.
He gained a few concessions, crucially over a way of limiting unprecedented levels of immigration from the bloc.
Despite returning virtually empty handed to the electorate, he decided to campaign for remain.
But many in his party were unsatisfied and vowed to campaign to leave.
Referendum vote in 2016
On June 23 2016 Britain voted to leave the European Union in a historic vote.
The victory of 52 per cent to 48 per cent left the nation split down the middle and triggered Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation.
The final result saw 17,759,184 Brits vote to leave, while 16,580,508 backed remain.
Ultimately he and most of London's political and journalistic establishment underestimated bad feeling about high levels of immigration and industrial decline which was blamed on the EU.
May becomes PM
David Cameron, shocked at losign, resigned, triggering a bloody leadership battle in the Tory party.
Boris Johnson was hotly tipped to be a runner but following a shock announcement from Michael Gove that he would be running, BoJo decided not take part.
Theresa May, Michael Gove, Stephen Crabbe, Andrea Leadsom and Liam Fox all launched bids.
But four of the challengers fell away and May eventually rode into Number 10 unopposed to take the helm of the party and the country.
Article 50 Triggered March 2017
As of 12.30pm on March 29 2017, the UK was set on a course to leave the EU by March 29, 2019.
The PM sent an official letter invoking Article 50 which was delivered to Donald Tusk.
It came after Theresa May quashed a Tory revolt after passing a law to authorise Brexit following a marathon five-week battle with Parliament.
Article 50 sets out the process of leaving the EU and states: "Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements."
Article 50 then goes on to say that a state wishing to withdraw will let the European Council know it intends to leave, which will "trigger" the article.
At this point, the Treaties that bound Britain to EU rules cease to apply and the terms of leaving began to be negotiated.
General Election 2017
On June 9 2017 the Tories lost their parliamentary majority in one of the biggest electoral shocks in years.
Theresa May opted to call a snap election, a gamble which proved to be a major mistake.
Labour made unpredicted gains and the Conservatives were forced to form a minority government with support from the DUP.
Chequers Proposal
After a marathon session of talks at Chequers on July 6, 2018, Theresa May and her Cabinet managed to hammer out a Brexit plan which she could take to the EU.
It saw the UK remain closely tied to Brussels on goods and agriculture, with the creation of a "common rulebook".
The agreement was met with widespread derision and prompted the resignations of both David Davis and Boris Johnson from the Cabinet.
PM announces Brexit deal
The PM released a 585-page document on November 14 with the first details of what leaving the European Union could look like.
Most of the items look at what will happen during the agreed transition period which will start on 30 March 2019 and end on 31 December 2020 — unless this is extended.
The deal was slammed by Brexiteers and prompted a slew of resignations including two Cabinet ministers, Dominic Raab and Esther McVey.
Theresa May’s withdrawal deal
This Brexit deal, which was struck on November 25 2018, covered the transition period from 2019 to 2020, essentially how the UK would leave the bloc.
European Union (EU) standards and regulations for goods would be kept, but free movement of people would stop.
A new customs set-up would be introduced where the UK would collect tariffs on the EU's behalf.
Direct European Court of Justice oversight of UK affairs would end as would annual payments to the EU which were about £20bn.
But on January 15, British lawmakers overwhelmingly reject the Brexit deal in a 432-202 vote.
Theresa May brings Plan B to Parliament
In February 2019 UK Parliament backed an amendment instructing May to demand that Brussels replaced the backstop — which aimed to avoid customs checks on the island of Ireland after Brexit — with "alternative arrangements".
But the EU immediately announced it was going to be stubborn, declaring its position on the withdrawal deal, including the backstop, would never change and the agreement was not open for renegotiation.
And Plan B failed to be voted by MPs. So did another attempt.
It was becoming clear remainer MPs would block any future deal in the Commons.
Theresa May resigns
On June 7, a tearful May gave an emotional resignation speech, stepped down as Conservative Party leader after she exhausted all bids to get a Brexit agreement through Parliament.
Tory Party members elect Boris Johnson
Theresa May's quit after failing to get any deal voted through.
Her resignation effectively cleared the way for Boris Johnson to stand for Tory leader and Britain's Prime Minister.
Conservative Party members vote for Johnson
Once in office and almost immediately makes clear the UK with leave the EU on October 31, with or without a deal.
But remainer MPs in the Commons were determined never to let this happen and were plotting to block it in the Commons.
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Prorogation of parliament
On August 28, Johnson said he would temporarily shut down Parliament by scheduling the Queen's Speech for October 14.
The speech normally is a formality that outlines the legislative agenda.
But since Parliament is ordinarily suspended beforehand, the move means the opposition will have less time to thwart a no-deal Brexit.
Boris loses his Commons majority
Boris lost his tiny Commons majority on the afternoon of September 3 in explosive scenes in the Commons - just hours before a crunch vote which could trigger an election.
Tory MP Phillip Lee defected to the Liberal Democrats right in front of the PM as he gave a speech at the despatch box - and went to sit with them in the Commons.
The Conservative government was left with no working majority in the House of Commons.
A 48-hour battle for Brexit
Britain is on course for an election with Boris on course to lose the first round against Remainer rebels.
It would be his first lost Parliamentary battle over the EU exit.
MPs are set to seize control of Parliament and will try and force through laws to stop a No Deal Brexit.
The PM is then expected to put down a motion for an election - but it's still up in the air whether Labour will back it.
A huge battle is set to ensue as Boris and his team desperately try to stop it and table up to NINETY amendments to the Bill to try and delay its progress in the House of Lords.
Rebels are in a race against time to try and pass the law before Boris shuts down Parliament.
Nigel Farage to stand with PM under No Deal Brexit
Nigel Farage has named his price to make an election pact with Boris Johnson - a No Deal Brexit.
The Brexit Party is ready to stand with the Prime Minister, Mr Farage told Mr Johnson last night, but only if the current deal is abandoned.
Nigel Farage indicated the two parties would only team up if the EU withdrawal agreement drawn up under Theresa May was scrapped.
He said that only either a completely new deal with Brussels would be acceptable, or a No Deal Brexit.
Mr Farage said: “If Boris Johnson thinks that the withdrawal agreement can stand then we don’t.
"At the moment he is suggesting no change at all to the withdrawal agreement other than the Irish backstop. This is not acceptable.”
Key dates leading up to Brexit in 2019
2019
October
- October 31 - Brexit Day!!
- October 21-24 - The European Parliament meets in Strasbourg for the last time, marking the departure of UK MEPs
- October 17-18 - EU leaders meet with Boris Johnson to address departure terms
- October 17 - The British Parliament officially reopens
- October 14 - The Queen's Speech to Parliament is set to end the suspension
September
- September 9 - Slated start of Johnson's suspension of Parliament
- September 5 - High Court in London legal challenge over decision to suspend Parliament
- September 3 - Court of Session in Edinburgh to rule on legality of proroguing
- September 3 - MPs to introduce legislation aimed at blocking No Deal Brexit with rebel Tories joining Labour
- September 2 - Boris Johnson says UK to leave on October "no ifs, no buts"
August
- August 28 - Queen approves suspension of Parliament for up to five weeks in a process known as proroguing
July
- July 9 - Labour announce they will officially back remain in a second Brexit referendum
- July 22 - Sir Alan Duncan quit as a Foreign Office minister in protest against a possible Boris Johnson victory
- July 23 - Boris Johnson is named the new PM
June
- June 7 - May stepped down as party leader. She is leaving her position as Prime Minister without having delivered Brexit
- June 10 - Deadline for Tory leadership hopefuls to enter the race
- June 11-12 - 1922 committee hustings (secret)
- June 13 - Tory MPs' first ballot - three candidates were eliminated, another resigned
- June 17 - Second hustings of Tory MPs (secret)
- June 18 - Second ballot of Tory MPs - eliminate bottom 10 per cent
- June 19-20 - MPs take part in ballots until only 2 candidates remain
- June 22 - Tory party members vote between last two in a postal ballot
May
- May 24 - Theresa May resigns
- May 26 - Elections results: the Brexit Party won 29 seats, Labour had 10 and the Tories had a dismal four
March 29 - Original Brexit Day
- Britain had been due to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019
- However, after UK MPs rejected the withdrawal deal Mrs May had agreed with Brussels - EU leaders eventually agreed to a six-month extension to the exit process until October 31, 2019
- The UK can leave the EU before this date if a withdrawal agreement is ratified between Britain and Brussels before then
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