The term Brexit means ‘British exit’ and was coined in the run-up to the monumental 2016

referendum in which the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union (EU) after 47
years of membership.

The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and officially left the trading bloc - its nearest and
biggest trading partner - on 31 January 2020.

However, both sides agreed to keep many things the same until 31 December 2020, to allow
enough time to agree to the terms of a new trade deal.

The deal contained new rules for how the UK and EU will live, work and trade together.

While the UK was in the EU, companies could buy and sell goods across EU borders without
paying taxes and there were no limits on the amount of things which could be traded.

Northern Ireland will continued to follow many of the EU's rules in order to avoid a hardening
of its border with the Republic of Ireland. This will mean however that new checks were
introduced on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

Now that it's no longer in the EU, the UK is free to set its own trade policy and can negotiate
deals with other countries. Talks are being held with the US, Australia and New Zealand -
countries that currently don't have free trade deals with the EU.

There were many reasons why Britain voted to leave the European Union. But some of the main
issues behind Brexit included a rise in nationalism, immigration, political autonomy, and the
economy.

The main focus was on why European integration has been such a problematic issue for the UK. The
answers to that question lay essentially in matters related to sovereignty, economics and the political
situation in Europe, though also other countries' attitudes towards the European Union.

The UK's first and second attempts to join the European Communities, in 1963 and 1967, were both
vetoed by the French President, Charles de Gaulle. De Gaulle's successor, President Pompidou, was
less vehemently opposed to British entry, but took a cautious attitude nonetheless.

The European Free Trade Area proposal was without doubt a very significant redirection in British

policy towards western European integration. It represented a return to the benevolence of the first
half

of the 1950s. The new benevolence was one of involvement as opposed to neutrality, however.

Significantly, London had jettisoned overt hostility towards the development of the Six's plans. But

ultimately, Plan G represented a slight shift in British attitudes as the wider tenets of policy remained

otherwise as they had done from 1950 to 1955. The new western European policy was a tilt towards

Europe, not a fundamental change in policy attitudes. Beneath the veneer of the commercial policy

change, the basis of British economic policy (the Collective Approach and Commonwealth
preference)

and diplomatic policy (priority of relations with the United States and the Commonwealth) remained
the same. The European Free Trade Area proposal was without doubt a very significant redirection in
British

policy towards western European integration. It represented a return to the benevolence of the first
half

of the 1950s. The new benevolence was one of involvement as opposed to neutrality, however.

Significantly, London had jettisoned overt hostility towards the development of the Six's plans. But

ultimately, Plan G represented a slight shift in British attitudes as the wider tenets of policy remained

otherwise as they had done from 1950 to 1955. The new western European policy was a tilt towards

Europe, not a fundamental change in policy attitudes. Beneath the veneer of the commercial policy

change, the basis of British economic policy (the Collective Approach and Commonwealth
preference)

and diplomatic policy (priority of relations with the United States and the Commonwealth) remained

the same