Britain begins the day as a member of the European Union. Its status at the end of the day as a proud nation that has reclaimed its sovereignty, or a diminished presence in Europe and the world will still be up for debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s the first time a country has left the EU, and many in the bloc regard it as a sad day. In Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen are due to sketch out the EU\u2019s first steps as a group of 27, rather than 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some Brexit supporters will be holding more raucous celebrations. Arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage and his band of devotees will gather for patriotic songs and speeches in London\u2019s Parliament Square to mark a moment that even Farage sometimes doubted would ever come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to meet in the morning with his Cabinet in the pro-Brexit town of Sunderland, in northeast England. He is scheduled to deliver a televised address to the country an hour before departure, calling Brexit \u201cnot an end but a beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Britain was never a wholehearted EU member, but actually leaving the bloc was long considered a fringe idea. It gradually gained strength within the Conservative Party, which has a wing of fierce \u201ceuroskeptics\u201d opponents of EU membership. Former Prime Minister David Cameron eventually agreed to hold a referendum, saying he wanted to settle the issue once and for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It hasn\u2019t worked out that way. Since the 2016 vote, the U.K. has held fractious negotiations with the EU that finally, late last year, secured a deal on divorce terms. But Britain is leaving the bloc arguably as divided as it was on referendum day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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