Britain leaves the , leaps into the unknown By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.04.20 Word Count 945 Level 890L

The colors of the Union Jack, the national flag of the , light up the outside of 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British prime minister, in London, England, January 31, 2020. Britain officially left the European Union that day after a debilitating political fracas that bitterly divided the nation since the 2016 referendum. Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photos

On January 31, Britain left the European Union. The European Union is called the EU for short. Britain had been a member of the EU for 47 years. The country's withdrawal has been nicknamed, "Brexit."

The EU had been a group of 28 countries that was created half a century ago to prevent another world war. Today, the EU has 27 member countries, not 28.

The United Kingdom's departure became official the night of January 31. The United Kingdom is a sovereign state. It contains the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All of those countries except for Northern Ireland are part of the land mass of Great Britain. All of these countries are part of Brexit.

Thousands of Brexit supporters gathered outside Britain's Parliament to celebrate. This was a moment they had been looking forward to for two years. Parliament is Britain's government. In

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. June 2016, the Parliament voted 52-48 percent in favor of leaving the EU, which the country had joined in 1973.

A Historic Moment

Boris Johnson is the prime minister of the United Kingdom, which is the head of the government. Johnson called Britain's departure "a moment of real national renewal and change."

Many British people grieved the loss of their EU identity and some had tearful vigils the night of the exit.

It is uncertain what this exit will mean for Britain. It could make Britain a proud nation that has reclaimed its sovereignty. Or, it could reduce Britain's presence and power in Europe in the world.

Britain's exit is a historic moment, although it is only the first stage of the Brexit process. When Britons woke up on February 1, they noticed very little change.

Leaders Around The World Respond

The United Kingdom and the EU have given themselves 11 months to transition. During this time, the U.K. will continue to follow the EU's rules such as striking new agreements on trade and security.

Brexit is one of the EU's biggest setbacks in its 62 years of existence. Britain, a former member, is now a competitor.

Emmanuel Macron is the president of France, which is a member of the EU. Macron said that Brexit is an "historic alarm signal." He thinks it should force the EU to improve itself.

This is the first time a country has left the EU. Many members of the EU are bitter about it.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Brexit will be a major loss for the United Kingdom. She said the nation was heading for a lonelier existence.

"Strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union," she said.

Johnson Keeps His Promise

Johnson insisted post-Brexit Britain would be at once "a great European power and truly global in our range and ambitions."

"We want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation between the EU and an energetic Britain," Johnson said.

Johnson won an election victory in December 2019, with a promise to "get Brexit done." He also promised to deliver better jobs, infrastructure and services for Britain's most disadvantaged areas, where support for leaving the EU is strongest.

Johnson strongly supports Brexit. To celebrate the exit on January 31, he shone red, white and blue lights on government buildings.

In Parliament Square, a large crowd gathered to celebrate. Nigel Farage was there. He is a British politician and he supports Brexit.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. "This is the single most important moment in the modern history of our great nation," Farage told the crowd.

Some Not Celebrating

Donna Jones is from London. She said she had come to the gathering to "be part of history."

"It doesn't mean we're anti-Europe, it just means we want to be self-sufficient in a certain way," Jones said.

British people who valued their membership in the EU were saddened by this event.

"Many of us want to just mark our sadness in public," said Ann Jones. She was one of many people who protested Brexit on a march through London. "And we don't want trouble, we just want to say ... we didn't want this."

Britain's exit from the EU was a long process. It is still not over.

Different Views On Brexit Throughout The U.K.

At the beginning, leaving the EU was considered an extreme idea. It slowly gained support within the Conservative Party. The United Kingdom's Conservative Party is a right-wing political group. The group holds more seats in Parliament. That means it holds more power.

David Cameron was the prime minister before Johnson. In 2016, he agreed to hold a vote on Brexit in 2016. Since then, the United Kingdom has had argumentative negotiations with the EU. Finally, last year, they settled on a deal.

Britain's big cities largely voted to stay in the EU. Small towns voted to leave. England and Wales supported Brexit. Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain.

Scottish First Minister said Brexit was "a moment of profound sadness."

"And here in Scotland, given that it is happening against the will of the vast majority of us, that sadness will be tinged with anger," she said in a speech.

London, which is home to more than 1 million EU citizens, also largely voted to stay in the EU.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "heartbroken" about Brexit. He insisted London would continue to welcome all, regardless of "the color of your skin, the color of your flag, the color of your passport."

Negotiations between Britain and the EU on their new relationship are set to start in March.

Johnson says he will not extend the transition period beyond December 31, 2020.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Read the article's introduction [paragraphs 1-4] and the final section “Different Views On Brexit Throughout The U.K..”

What is one connection between these two sections?

(A) They both tell about the vote in 2016 to leave the European Union.

(B) They both tell about which United Kingdom countries voted for Brexit.

(C) They both tell about the European Union’s member countries.

(D) They both tell about the transition period for Brexit.

2 If this article was organized as chronological, which sentence(s) would come FIRST?

(A) Thousands of Brexit supporters gathered outside Britain's Parliament to celebrate. This was a moment they had been looking forward to for two years.

(B) In June 2016, the Parliament voted 52-48 percent in favor of leaving the EU, which the country had joined in 1973.

(C) Johnson won an election victory in December 2019, with a promise to "get Brexit done."

(D) David Cameron was the prime minister before Johnson. In 2016, he agreed to hold a vote on Brexit in 2016.

3 French President Emmanuel Macron says Brexit is a “historic alarm signal.” WHY does he say this?

(A) He believes that Brexit is an important moment in history and should be written about in textbooks for students all over the world.

(B) He agrees with the United Kingdom’s decisions to leave the European Union, and thinks it sends a good message to other European countries.

(C) He worries other countries might think about leaving the European Union, and the European Union should fix things that are wrong so that they do not leave.

(D) He thinks that countries around the world should be worried about the United Kingdom’s separation from the European Union, as it gives the United Kingdom too much power.

4 thinks that Brexit will bring friendly cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union. How is Donna Jones’s opinion about Brexit similar?

(A) Jones is unhappy about Brexit because she likes the countries in the European Union.

(B) Jones has many friends in other European countries, and she values British independence.

(C) Jones is happy the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union, and she has good feelings toward Europe.

(D) Jones thinks it is more important for the United Kingdom to be independent than to have a good relationship with other European countries.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.