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Brexit timeline of key events

Britain's prime minister Theresa May walks past the EU flag at the conclusion of an EU summit in Brussels, yesterday. Picture by Alastair Grant, Press Association
Britain's prime minister Theresa May walks past the EU flag at the conclusion of an EU summit in Brussels, yesterday. Picture by Alastair Grant, Press Association Britain's prime minister Theresa May walks past the EU flag at the conclusion of an EU summit in Brussels, yesterday. Picture by Alastair Grant, Press Association

As Theresa May scrambles to push her Brexit deal through the UK parliament, here's a timeline explaining what's been going on.

November 13 2018: The British government announces a draft brexit deal has been struck with the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May begins the process of trying to sell the deal to her party by calling cabinet ministers to Downing Street for one-on-one talks. The DUP says it will oppose any deal which "weakens the union".

November 14 2018: Theresa May holds a five-hour cabinet meeting to discuss the agreement. Afterwards she says the “collective decision of the cabinet was that the government should agree the draft withdrawal agreement.” This paves the way for a parliament vote on the deal but rumours of dischord in the cabinet overshadow the agreement while the DUP say they will not support the draft.

November 15 2018: Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigns saying he cannot "in good conscience" support the deal. Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey also quits in protest at the deal.

Other ministers to resign include: Conservative vice-chairman Rehman Chishti, ministerial aide Ranil Jayawardena, junior Brexit secretary Suella Braverman, education minister's private secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, and Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara.

Leo Varadkar holds Brexit talks with parties from the north which are snubbed by the DUP and UUP.

Ian Knox cartoon 26/11/18: Theresa May's EU summit promises to be pleasant compared with what awaits her on her return 
Ian Knox cartoon 26/11/18: Theresa May's EU summit promises to be pleasant compared with what awaits her on her return  Ian Knox cartoon 26/11/18: Theresa May's EU summit promises to be pleasant compared with what awaits her on her return 

November 19 2018: The DUP's confidence and supply deal with the Conservative government appears to be in jeopardy after the DUP's MPs abstained on key votes at Westminster.

The move is seen as a stark warning to Theresa May as the British prime minister continues to seek backing for the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement.

November 21 2018: Theresa May warns parliament that rejecting her deal could mean Brexit doesn't happen at all. The prime minister then flies to Brussels for talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on future relations between the UK and the EU which results in a draft political declaration indicating the possibility of technological solutions to avoiding a hard Irish border.

November 25 2018: An emergency summit between 27 EU leaders is held which sees them endorse Theresa May's deal that sets out the terms of Britain’s departure. Meanwhile, DUP leader Arlene Foster urges the British government to stop "wasting time" and seek a "better deal".

December 11: The UK parliament will vote on Theresa May's deal. If the agreement is rejected, the British government has until January 21 2019 to propose a new plan.

Ian Knox cartoon 19/11/18: Jeffrey Donaldson's admonishment to farmers and business people to read Theresa’s Brexit deal more fully before expressing satisfaction seems rich from a party whose leader conspicuously failed to read the RHI legislation
Ian Knox cartoon 19/11/18: Jeffrey Donaldson's admonishment to farmers and business people to read Theresa’s Brexit deal more fully before expressing satisfaction seems rich from a party whose leader conspicuously failed to read the RHI legisla Ian Knox cartoon 19/11/18: Jeffrey Donaldson's admonishment to farmers and business people to read Theresa’s Brexit deal more fully before expressing satisfaction seems rich from a party whose leader conspicuously failed to read the RHI legislation

January 21 2019: If a deal has not passed through parliament by this date, the British government is required by law to make a statement within five days on how it intends to proceed. Options include: 

  • leaving with no Brexit deal in place
  • seeking an extension to allow time to agree a deal
  • a General Election
  • a second referendum

March 2019: Assuming the Brexit deal is passed by the UK parliament, the European parliament will vote on the deal, followed by the European Council. At least 20 countries must approve it.

March 29 2019: The day the UK is set to leave the EU.

 Ian Knox cartoon 17/10/18: With every blast of the DUP’s “blood red lines” rigidity, the prospect of a hard Brexit followed by a border poll with an increasingly unpredictable outcome becomes more likely
 Ian Knox cartoon 17/10/18: With every blast of the DUP’s “blood red lines” rigidity, the prospect of a hard Brexit followed by a border poll with an increasingly unpredictable outcome becomes more likely  Ian Knox cartoon 17/10/18: With every blast of the DUP’s “blood red lines” rigidity, the prospect of a hard Brexit followed by a border poll with an increasingly unpredictable outcome becomes more likely

December 21 2010: The Brexit transition period is set to end.

January 1 2021: If a trade deal that avoids a hard border in Ireland has still not been negotiated, the ‘backstop’ arrangement in the withdrawal agreement will come into effect.