Brexit: UK leaves the European Union

2020-02-01 13:26:37

The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership - and more than three years after it voted to do so in a referendum. The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests. Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London's Parliament Square. Boris Johnson has vowed to bring the country together and "take us forward". In a message released on social media an hour before the UK's departure, the prime minister said: "For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come. "And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss." He said some had worried the political "wrangle" would not end but it was his job to take the country forward.