Boris Johnson says the UK has ‘crossed the Brexit finish line’ after Parliament approved his deal and cleared the path to leave on January 31, Eurasia Diary reports citing Metro.
The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement Bill) cleared its final parliamentary hurdle last night in the House of Lords and is now set to be given royal assent to become law.
The Lords had tried to secure additional rights including for unaccompanied child refugees in an amendment to the bill but MPs in the Commons overturned the peers’ demands.
Mr Johnson’s deal still needs to be ratified by the EU Parliament by Brexit day on the 31 but the PM called for the ‘rancour and division’ to be left behind.
He said the country would ‘move forwards as one United Kingdom’, adding: ‘At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but we’ve done it.
‘Now we can put the rancour and division of the past three years behind us and focus on delivering a bright, exciting future – with better hospitals and schools, safer streets and opportunity spread to every corner of our country.’
The Queen’s formal approval of the bill is expected in the coming days while the European Parliament will hold its consent vote on January 29.