Politics in Kent dominated by Brexit and coronavrius
Published: 06:00, 02 January 2021
It was a truly turbulent year in politics, dominated by two words - Brexit and Covid. The two converged to conclude an annus horribilis for Kent as the French authorities blocked travel from the UK amid Covid fears. Political editor
Paul Francis looks back at the highlights and lowlights.
Brexit Gets Done
A Brexit deal was agreed in the 11th hour
After securing a comfortable majority at a snap election at the end of 2019, the government finally managed to get its Brexit Bill through Parliament in January.
Unlike the furore and raucous late night debates and votes when then Prime Minister Theresa May was striving to get a deal done, the formal passage of legislation marking the end of four decades in the EU went through with barely a murmur.
The DUP has hit back at a former Government special adviser who said the party s decision to vote for Brexit but against the EU trade deal is "a true lesson in how not to do politics".
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Source: AP Photo/Alastair Grant
It has finally happened. Years after voters decided to leave the European Union (EU), the U.K. has completed its economic break from its European neighbors at 11 p.m. London time on Thursday.
The final economic break happened on New Year s Eve after the U.K. left the single market and customs union and entered into a new trade deal. It was a momentous milestone for Brexit supporters.
In Jan. 2020, after a tumultuous three-and-a-half-year exit, the U.K. left the EU and ended its 47-year membership with its European allies. A final deadline of Dec. 31. 2020 was then set for the U.K. to transition away from the EU and negotiate with regulators.
Katrine Marçal: Återstår att se var Storbritannien landar efter hoppet ut ur EU dn.se - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dn.se Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.