Britain’s delayed and disputed Brexit bill became
law on Thursday, removing the last U.K. obstacle
to the country leaving the European Union in
just over a week.
The U.K. is finally leaving the 28-nation bloc more
than 3 1/2 years after voters narrowly opted to
do so in a June 2016 referendum — and after
interminable rounds of political wrangling.
Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans announced in
the House of Commons that the Withdrawal
Agreement Act had received royal assent from
Queen Elizabeth II, the final formality in its
legislative journey.
The brief announcement, which drew cheers of
“Hear! Hear!” from some Conservative lawmakers
in the Commons, came hours after the bill
completed its passage through Parliament by
getting approval from the House of Lords.