The bill was conveniently passed from 521 to 73 following quick sessions in both houses of parliament. The agreement, finalized last week, marks a significant milestone in the more than four years since the UK voted to leave the EU.
Opening the debate on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers that the agreement would “open a new chapter in our national story” and allow the UK to “control our laws and our national destiny”.
The government bill is now expected to be sent to the upper house of parliament, the House of Lords; If passed, it is expected to receive royal approval.
The agreement, which has already received provisional approval from the European Union, was formally signed by European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday.
The European Parliament is expected to review the agreement at a later date before it is formally ratified by the European Union.
The agreement with Brussels, the provision of fisheries, how the UK will use government assistance to support post-Brexit British businesses, and any legal oversight will establish a new trade and security relationship with the UK’s largest trading partner after months of stalemate. The deal struck.
The agreement, which protects Britain’s tariffs and the Alliance’s unrestricted access to consumers, avoids the worst consequences from the UK as it fights a devastating epidemic from Brexit.
The deal appears to mostly involve the trade of goods, where the UK has deficits with its EU neighbors, but excludes key service industries such as finance, where it currently receives surpluses.
Opposition leader Khair Stormer, who campaigned against Brexit, said the bill was “thin” and failed to protect trade in the service sector, but that Labor would support it by giving it a catastrophic alternative: leave the transition period without a deal.
The bill – 80 pages long, as opposed to the more than 1,200 pages of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (DCA) – has also been criticized for being rushed.
“Parliament is considering the use of the TCA in less than 48 hours – a delay in making ‘no contract’ the only viable alternative and giving the most limited use to direct victims.” Written by Brigitte Fowler, a senior researcher at the Hansard Society.
As the number of Govt-19 cases in the UK continues to rise, the virus is spreading across the country.
Hannah Giatti and Julia Horowitz contributed to this story.
“Web specialist. Pop culture buff. Thinker. Foodaholic. Travel maven. Avid coffee junkie. Amateur tv advocate.”