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The British House of Commons approved the free trade pact negotiated with the EU with a large majority. The deputies paved the way for a provisional application of the treaty as of January 1.
The British House of Commons voted with a large majority in favor of the free trade agreement with the EU. 521 deputies voted in favor, 73 against. People’s representatives paved the way for Britain to exit the common internal market with the EU on January 1. After the vote in the lower house, the upper house meets to discuss and vote as well. There, too, broad approval was expected.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had submitted the law on the post-Brexit trade deal to parliament, which will later be passed by the House of Lords. On this basis, the agreement can be provisionally applied from January 1, even if the EU Parliament has not yet given its approval.
The British want to remain the EU’s “best friend”
Johnson said in the House of Commons debate that his country will continue to be “a friendly neighbor, best friend and ally” of the EU. London and Brussels “would work hand in hand as long as our values and interests coincide.”
Keir Starmer, the opposition leader of the Labor Party, had asked his party’s MPs to approve the deal. Starmer said he found the deal “slim.” The text is “better than no deal”.
After a long fight, both parties agreed to the contract on December 24. Regulates numerous trade and customs issues to avoid chaos in future economic relationships. There is no longer enough time until the end of the year for a regular ratification process. Therefore, the agreed rules will temporarily apply until at least February 28.
Firms in Brussels
The head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the EU Council, Charles Michel, signed the trade agreement a few hours before the vote in the British House of Commons. They signed the contract in a short ceremony. “It was a long road. Now is the time to leave Brexit behind,” von der Leyen said on Twitter. “Our future is built in Europe,” he added.
