Brexit Timeline

Published 11/07/2019   |   Last Updated 27/05/2021   |   Reading Time minutes

In April 2017, the Research Service published its first Brexit timeline setting out the key events in the UK’s departure from the EU. In publishing that first timeline, we committed to update and develop the timeline as the negotiations progressed. We published the fourth iteration in October 2018. Below is the fifth iteration of the timeline. The timeline is based on information available at this time and is likely to be amended to reflect developments in the coming weeks and months.

Since the last iteration of the timeline, the UK Government and the EU have concluded the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration setting out the UK’s terms of withdrawal from the EU and outlining key aspirations for the future UK-EU relationship. The Withdrawal Agreement requires the approval of the UK Parliament, however, it has been rejected in three separate votes to date. On 10 April, the EU27 and the UK agreed a further extension to Article 50 until 31 October 2019. On 24 May, the UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced that she would resign on Friday 7 June. The Conservative Party initiated its leadership election process from Monday 10 June. The new Prime Minister will be announced on 23 July.

The default legal position is that the UK will leave the EU without a deal if the UK Parliament does not approve the Withdrawal Agreement and if no extension to Article 50 is secured by 31 October 2019. For the Withdrawal Agreement to be implemented in domestic law, legislation to that effect must also be passed before 31 October.

Should the UK leave with an agreement in place, the UK will enter a transition period currently scheduled from 31 October 2019 until 31 December 2020. During this time, the future UK-EU relationship will need to be negotiated and agreed. EU law will continue to apply during transition but the UK will no longer be part of EU decision-making, meaning that its representation at EU institutions, agencies and bodies will cease.

You can stay up to date with the latest Brexit news in Wales through our regular Brexit Updates and our Brexit Negotiation Monitoring Report and you can see all the latest Brexit activity from across the Assembly on the Assembly’s Brexit and Wales webpage.


Article by Sara Moran and Joe Wilkes, Senedd Research, National Assembly for Wales