UK Enters Brexit Transition Period

The under-renovation Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, stands shrouded in scaffolding as Union Jack flags wave amid Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square in London, England, on January 31, 2020. Britain's exit from the European Union, today at 11pm UK time (midnight in Brussels), comes more than three and a half years since the country's deeply polarising EU membership referendum, yet the moment brings to an end only the first stage of the Brexit saga, with the UK's future relationship with the bloc still to be negotiated. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted that the 11-month transition period, wherein arrangements continue practically unchanged, will not be extended past its December 31 expiration date and that a trade deal can be reached in that time. Critics argue that any such deal will have to be severely constrained in ambition to be negotiated in such a short period, and that workers' rights and other protections may be lost in the process. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images)