Historic Brexit talks begin
Last summer, the UK Government held a referendum – a national vote – to ask the public to decide whether the country should remain part of the European Union (EU), or leave. In the end, 52% of voters decided that they wanted to leave. The process of leaving is called Brexit. A year after the referendum, Brexit negotiations have officially begun. This means that the UK and the EU have entered talks to decide what sort of relationship they will have once the UK eventually leaves.
What is the EU?
The EU is an organisation made up of 28 European countries. It was formed in 1993 but has existed in one form or another since 1957. EU members enjoy certain benefits, for example, the single market. This is an agreement that allows EU countries to trade with one another without having to pay extra costs. Another benefit for members is that EU citizens are allowed to live and work within other EU countries. This is known as the free movement of people.
Why did the UK vote to leave?
Some people think that the EU has too much power over the UK Government. They aren’t happy that people from EU countries can live and work in the UK, and they believe that the cost of EU membership is too expensive. Not everyone agrees. Some people think that leaving the EU will be bad for trade and could make the UK worse off.
Who is in charge of the discussions?
A Member of Parliament called David Davis was appointed Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, and is leading the UK’s negotiation team. The EU’s chief negotiator is a Frenchman called Michel Barnier. So far, the EU has demanded that discussions about trade deals between the UK and the EU can’t start until the so-called divorce bill is finalised, and Davis has agreed to it. The divorce bill is the total amount that the UK will have to pay the EU before it leaves. It is thought that the EU could ask for as much as £88 billion.
What will happen now?
The discussions are set to continue for the next 15 months, with the teams meeting for around a week every month. The discussions will be complex – they have to resolve important issues: everything from trade to the free movement of people.