25/12/2020 Today is a day of relief. But tainted by some sadness, as we compare what came before with what lies ahead. Photo credit: Getty
Britain clinched a Brexit trade deal with the European Union on Thursday, seven days before it exits one of the world s biggest trading blocs in its most significant global shift since the loss of the empire.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson: We have today resolved a question which has bedevilled our politics for decades and it is up to us, all together, as a newly and truly independent nation to realise the immensity of this moment and to make the most of it.
Post-Brexit deal done: Reaction and updates after UK strikes EU deal
The Prime Minister has announced a Brexit deal this afternoon after a night of talks between Britain and the EU
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A UK-European Union trade deal has been struck just days before the transition period ends.
Boris Johnson said the agreement reached with Brussels was a “good deal for the whole of Europe”.
The Prime Minister added it will “protect jobs across this country” and has “taken back control of our laws and our destiny”.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the deal was fair and balanced , describing the process as a long and winding road .
UK fishing industry disappointed by Brexit deal fudge reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
| UPDATED: 18:37, Thu, Dec 24, 2020
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that the UK and the EU have reached a fair deal after months of haggling. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also set to make an announcement today just days before the transition period s end on January first. For months, disagreements surrounding a level playing field, state aid and fisheries have frustrated negotiators and held up a deal.
First published on Thu 24 Dec 2020 16.54 EST
Boris Johnson delivered his press conference on Christmas Eve, outlining the Brexit trade deal that will separate the EU and UK, while wearing a tie with a subtle fish motif in a nod to one of the dominant issues of the tortuous negotiations.
Despite Britain’s fishing industry being responsible for only 0.1% of the country’s GDP, it became symbolic of a desire by leave voters to “take back control”.
Many had complained that successive years of overfishing by EU countries and the quota system had hurt the industry.
Boris Johnson at his Christmas Eve press conference. Photograph: Paul Grover/Daily Telegraph/PA