Scotland`s economic situation also raises questions about its hypothetical future as an independent country. The collapse in the price of oil has dealt a blow to public finances. In May 2014, it forecast tax revenue from North Sea drilling of £3.4 billion to £9 billion for 2015-2016, but raised £60 million, less than 1% of the medium-term forecast. In reality, these figures are hypothetical as Scotland`s finances are not fully decentralised, but estimates are based on the country`s geographical share of North Sea drilling, so they illustrate what it might expect as an independent nation. One of the biggest stumbling blocks has been what is happening at the Irish border. In a speech in Florence in September 2017, May said Britain and the EU “can do much better” than a CETA-style trade deal because they start from the “unprecedented position” of sharing a set of rules and regulations. She did not specify how “much better” would be and urged both sides to be “creative and practical”. That is the political declaration. However, neither side needs to stick to exactly what it says – it`s a set of ambitions for future talks. Brexiteers who want to “take back control” would probably not accept the concessions made by the Swiss on immigration, budget payments and single market rules. Nor would the EU probably want a relationship like the Swiss example: Switzerland`s accession to EFTA, but not to the EEA, to Schengen, but not to the EU, is a chaotic product of the complex history of European integration and, what else, of a referendum. Discussions have mainly revolved around the “divorce deal”, which defines exactly how the UK will leave – not what will happen next. Just as January 31 marks a symbolic milestone, it is just the beginning of a potentially more volatile chapter of the turbulent divorce, in which politicians and business leaders argue over what kind of Brexit will happen.

What will ultimately happen if Britain separates from the European Union could determine the form of the nation and its place in the world for decades to come. The following is a basic guide to Brexit: what it is, how it has become a political mess and how it can ultimately be solved. On 1 January 2021, the rules set out in these agreements will enter into force. You can find out what this means for you on this website. The debate over the currency that an independent Scotland would use has been revived. Former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who served as Scotland`s first minister until November 2014, told the Financial Times that the country could abandon the pound and adopt its own currency so it could fluctuate freely or be pegged to the pound sterling. He has ruled out joining the euro, but others say it would be necessary for Scotland to join the EU. Another option would be to use the pound, which would mean losing control of monetary policy. The backstop is supposed to be a last resort to keep an open border on the island of Ireland – whatever happens in the Brexit negotiations.

Brexiteers had avoided the convoluted question of what was to come for another day. Even now that Britain has set the terms for its exit, it is still unclear what kind of relationship it wants with the European Union for the future, an issue that could prove as divisive as the debate over departure. However, in her September 2017 speech in Florence, May said the UK would “honour the commitments we made during the period of our accession”. Michel Barnier confirmed to reporters in October 2019 that Britain would pay what was due to it. Not much will change overnight. At midnight in Brussels, January 31 – 11 p.m.m .m in London, a reminder that the European Union sets the conditions for exit – Britain will begin an 11-month transition during which it will continue to abide by the bloc`s rules and regulations while deciding what kind of Brexit to pursue. Another, much shorter document has also been produced, which gives a glimpse of what the future relationship between the UK and the EU will look like in the long term. Britain has discussed the pros and cons of joining a European community of states almost since the idea was raised.

It held its first referendum on accession to the then European Economic Community in 1975, less than three years after its accession. At the time, 67% of voters were in favor of remaining in the bloc. Politico. “The UK will not commit to the Brexit bill until October,” Davis said. Seen on 7 October 2019, May resigned as party leader on 7 June 2019 after failing three times to get the house of commons to approve the deal she had negotiated with the EU. The following month, Boris Johnson, former Mayor of London, Foreign Secretary and Editor-in-Chief of The Spectator newspaper, was elected Prime Minister. The Wall Street Journal. “Who wants to end the EU?” Retrieved 8 October 2019. “No Deal” means that the UK will have failed to agree on a withdrawal agreement. Another historic moment occurred in August 2019, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on the Queen to suspend Parliament from mid-September to October 14, and she agreed. This has been seen as a ploy to prevent MPs from blocking a chaotic exit from the EU, and some have even called it a kind of coup.

The 11 Supreme Court justices unanimously declared the decision illegal on September 24 and overturned it. While the Leavers have tended to focus on issues of national pride, security, and sovereignty, they also make economic arguments. For example, Boris Johnson, who served as mayor of London until May 2016 and became foreign secretary when May took office, said on the eve of the vote: “EU politicians would break the door of a trade deal the day after the vote, given their `business interests`. Labor Leave, the pro-Brexit Labor group, co-authored a report in September 2017 with a group of economists predicting a 7% increase in annual GDP, with the largest gains going to low-income people. This means that if the Withdrawal Agreement gets the green light, there will be no major changes between the Brexit date and 31 December 2020. Marine Le Pen, the leader of France`s Eurosceptic National Front (FN), hailed the Brexit vote as a victory for nationalism and sovereignty across Europe: “Like many French people, I am very happy that the UK has persevered and made the right choice. What we thought was impossible yesterday has now become possible. She lost the French presidential election in May 2017 to Emmanuel Macron and won only 33.9% of the vote. Britain has been a member of the European Union (or its predecessor, the European Economic Community) since 1973. .