Brexit poised to become reality — after Britain’s final, mad dash to the finish line

Brexit’s Silver Lining for Europe

After years of epic battle in the Palace of Westminster over Britain’s exit from the European Union, lawmakers were recalled Wednesday from their holiday break to ratify legislation at breakneck speed that will reshape future relations between the United Kingdom and the bloc.

They didn’t dawdle. The bill passed the House of Commons, in two readings, by a vote of 521 to 73 ahead of a New Year’s Day deadline.

Then the legislation was whisked off to the House of Lords, where it was approved late Wednesday night, and finally received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II after midnight.

The legislation is called the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill, essentially an 80-page version of the post-Brexit trade and security deal agreed upon Christmas Eve, which is 1,246 pages. Few nonexperts have read that opus, with most relying on the various cheat-sheets in circulation that summarize the deal in a few columns assessing “wins” and “losses” for either side.

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