UK’s Prime Minister (PM), Boris Johnson has said the UK’s destiny “now resides firmly in our hands” as the Brexit trade deal cleared Parliament and entered into law.
It comes after MPs overwhelmingly approved the deal to pave the way for the UK-EU agreement to come into force at 11pm today, 31st December, when the current Brexit transition period – during which the UK has continued to follow EU rules – ends.
In a statement after the deal cleared Parliament, Mr Johnson said, “I want to thank my fellow MPs and peers for passing this historic Bill and would like to express my gratitude to all of the staff here in Parliament and across government who have made today possible.
“The destiny of this great country now resides firmly in our hands. We take on this duty with a sense of purpose and with the interests of the British public at the heart of everything we do.
“11pm marks a new beginning in our country’s history and a new relationship with the EU as their biggest ally. This moment is finally upon us and now is the time to seize it.”
The UK House of Commons had earlier voted in favour of the agreement struck between the PM and the EU by 521 votes to 73 – a majority of 448.
The deal, which stretches to 1,246 pages and covers £660bn worth of trade, was later given an unopposed third reading in the House of Lords.
Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs the act was then granted royal assent by the Queen.
Less than an hour after the vote, Mr Johnson added his formal signature to the EU-UK trade deal in Downing Street.
The documents had been flown to London in an RAF plane after being signed by European Council President, Charles Michel and European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on 30th December.
Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer had ordered his party to vote in favour of the deal, arguing the alternative would be for the UK to leave the Brexit transition period without an EU trade agreement in place.
During more than four hours’ debate on the deal, former Prime Minister, Theresa May criticized Sir Keir for failing to back her efforts in negotiating with the EU last year, when he was shadow Brexit secretary.
She told the now Labour leader that, “He said he wanted a better deal – he had the opportunity in early 2019 when there was the opportunity of a better deal on the table and he voted against it.”
Mrs May welcomed Mr Johnson’s agreement, but suggested Brussels would be favoured under the terms of the deal.
“We have a deal in trade that benefits the EU, but not a deal in services that would have benefited the UK,” she said.
All the other opposition parties opposed the agreement, including the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which backed Brexit but objects to provisions which mean Northern Ireland will still be subject to some EU rules.
