Brexit: House of Commons adopts agreement by overwhelming majority

Welcoming the opening of a “new chapter”, Boris Johnson assured MPs that the United Kingdom would remain “the best friend and ally” of the European Union, after having been an “unconvinced member”.

AP - Jessica Taylor

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The post-Brexit agreement reached in extremis with Brussels last week allows the United Kingdom to continue to benefit from access to the single European market without customs duties.

At the start of the Commons debate, Boris Johnson insisted the deal allows London to regain control of its laws and destiny.

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With our correspondent in London, 

Muriel Delcroix

For British Prime Minister

Boris Johnson

, this

now ratified treaty

allows London to continue trading with the EU while being an equal sovereign state.

“

 What we were looking for was not a rupture but a solution, a solution to the old and controversial question of Britain's political relations with Europe

,” he said. 

We will now be a friendly neighbor

-

the best friend and ally the EU can have - working hand in hand when our values ​​and interests coincide.

"

For his part, Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer, who had campaigned against Brexit, called on his troops to vote in favor of the treaty.

" 

It is an imperfect, minimal agreement, and the consequence of the political choices of the Prime Minister,

" he lamented.

 But we only have one day and it's the only agreement we have… We will always be Europeans, we will always share the same values, the same experiences and the same history, we can now share the same future.

 "

But

Keir Starmer

accused the Prime Minister of lacking honesty by ignoring the fact that the deal meant "an 

avalanche of checks, bureaucracy and red tape for British businesses

 ".

He regretted the lack of ambition of the treaty, which excludes the service sector, yet representing 80% of the country's economy.

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  • United Kingdom

  • Brexit

  • European Union

  • Boris Johnson