After months of negotiations Britain has struck a last minute deal to move vital talks with the EU to the next phase.
There will be no ‘hard border’ with Ireland, the Brexit bill will cost somewhere between £35bn and £39bn, and both EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU will have their rights protected.
The Pound was trading at a six month high against the Euro as news of the deal broke. Prime Minister Theresa May said she was “very much looking forward to the next phase of Brexit talks on trade and security”
The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said it was a “breakthrough”, and he was confident EU Leaders would approve it.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, where the European Council will decide whether or not to confirm the deal so post-Brexit talks can begin.
The deal comes as a surprise to the DUP, who were the reason for talks breaking down on Monday. There “have been 6 substantial changes” that appear to have satisfied their concerns. One of the key changes is the the removal of a custom barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK with party leader Arlene Foster saying it would mean there’s no “red line down the Irish sea”
Another key issue of the trade was the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. Mrs May has said that EU citizens living in the UK would have their “rights enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts”. It also protects the rights of UK citizens working or studying in the EU. Fridays joint report means that more than 3 million EU citizens will be able to live and work in the UK in line with the current rules.
However, some Brexit voters might not be pleased to find out that the European court of justice will continue to have a role in overseeing their rights 8 years after Brexit. Environment secretary Michael Gove tried to play down concerns from some Brexit supporters about the continual interference in British law from the European court of justice, something that was a key reason in some people voting for Brexit in the first place. Gove told BBC Radio 4s Today programme “it’ll be a matter for British Judges to decide what cases are referred to court”.
MP for Cheltenham Alex Chalk Tweeted his support for Theresa May, saying “this is just the end of the beginning, but a crucial milestone nonetheless. The PM deserves huge credit for getting to this point.” Chalk has called for optimism about Brexit negations in the past and stressed the importance of getting the best deal by the end of the deadline.
This is just the end of the beginning, but a crucial milestone nonetheless. The PM deserves huge credit for getting to this point.
Deal agreed in Brexit talks – Junckerhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42277040
— Alex Chalk (@AlexChalkChelt) 8 December 2017
The deal is the first obstacle breeched in negations that are likely to be complicated and full of disagreements. Britain must have a deal approved by EU countries and the UK parliament by March 2019.