Brexit to proceed tonight as Britain leaves the EU - Talk of the Town

Brexit will finally go ahead tonight when Britain leaves the European Union after 47 years.

The UK will formally cease to be a member state at midnight tonight, Central European Time, 11pm Irish time.

Boris Johnson will address the nation an hour beforehand.

He will say: “Our job as the government – my job – is to bring this country together and take us forward.”

He will call Brexit “the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act”.

“It is a moment of real national renewal and change.

“This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances – your family’s life chances – should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.”

When the Article 50 process expires tonight, the United Kingdom will become the first state to leave the EU.

However, it is leaving with a deal after the Withdrawal Agreement was ratified by both parties this week following a year of political turmoil in Westminster.

Because of that agreement there will be a transition period until the end of the year, during which nothing will change from a practical point of view. That means it could be towards the end of this year/early next year before border areas such as Louth see the real fall out of Brexit and what it means for people living and working here.