Brexit 2018: A look back at this year's key moments

Ella Wills28 December 2018

The deadline date for Britain's exit from the EU is fast on the approach following a year of Cabinet resignations, Parliamentary rows and deadlocked negotiations.

Near the end of the year, Theresa May had managed to secure a draft Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, but the deal was met with strong criticism by MPs.

Now, as the UK’s official departure date in March 2019 draws ever closer, the Prime Minister is in the throes of a difficult process to get the deal through Parliament and debate over the Brexit has neared fever pitch.

Here the Standard takes a moment to look back over some key Brexit moments of 2018, ahead of the final three months of parliamentary battle before the UK leaves the EU.

The biggest Brexit moments of 2018, in calendar order:

Key Brexit moments of 2018: in pictures

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March 19: Draft Withdrawal Agreement published after progress in talks

A Draft Withdrawal Agreement was published in March after the UK and EU made decisive steps in negotiations.

This included agreed legal text for the implementation period, citizens’ rights, and the financial settlement, as well as a significant number of other articles. Issues still to be sorted out included the Northern Ireland border.

July 6: Chequers deal agreed following Cabinet away day

The Cabinet thrashed out a “collective” agreement on the UK’s future relationship with the EU after Brexit following an away day hosted by Mrs May at Chequers on Friday, July 6.

The PM said the plan agreed after a marathon session with the Cabinet was aimed at making sure "we deliver on Brexit for the people because I won't let people down”.

Theresa May held a crunch Brexit showdown with the Cabinet at her country retreat
PA

But while Cabinet Brexiteers were persuaded to support the plans after the talks at Chequers, backbench Tory Eurosceptics still had doubts.

Details were published in a White Paper later that month ahead of further negotiations with the EU.

July 8-9: David Davis and Boris Johnson resign from Cabinet

David Davis and Boris Johnson dramatically resigned from their positions in Cabinet just days after the Chequers deal was announced.

Mr Davis stepped down as Brexit Secretary late on Sunday, July 8 in a fury over the PM’s proposals.

Boris Johnson leaves Carlton House Terrace in Westminster, London, after resigning as Foreign Secretary
PA Wire/PA Images

Mr Davis launched a barbed attack at Mrs May in a damaging letter of resignation, which claimed the PM's approach to negotiations could leave the UK in a weak or “inescapable” position with the EU in crunch talks on Brexit.

Just hours later on Monday, July 9, Boris Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary plunging Mrs May’s Government into crisis.

In his resignation letter, Mr Johnson declared that the Brexit “dream is dying, suffocated by needless self-doubt”.

Mrs May swiftly replaced Mr Davis with justice minister Dominic Raab and Mr Johnson with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

July 17: Vote Leave fined and reported to police by Electoral Commission

On July 17, the Vote Leave campaign was fined and referred to the police after it was found to have broken electoral law in the EU referendum.

The Electoral Commission handed the Vote Leave campaign, which was fronted by Mr Johnson and Michael Gove, a £61,000 fine.

The Vote Leave campaign was fined earlier this year 
PA Archive/PA Images

It came after campaign group Leave.EU was fined £70,000 for breaking rules on spending during the 2016 referendum campaign in May.

An Electoral Commission investigation found that the group, co-founded by millionaire businessman Arron Banks and backed by Nigel Farage, overspent by at least £77,380 – 10 per cent over the limit for non-party registered groups.

September 18: Sir Vince Cable likens Brexit to ‘exotic spresm’ in stage gaffe

The bizarre moment saw the party leader refer to the “exotic spresm” of leaving the EU felt by Brexiteers.

Sir Vince, speaking to a party conference in Brighton, was apparently trying to say “erotic spasm” - a pre-written line that had been reported earlier that week.

October 20: People’s Vote March

More than half a million anti-Brexit campaigners turned out for the so-called People’s Vote March in central London in October, demanding a second vote on the final deal for leaving the European Union.

Demonstrators flooded the streets of London
Sky News

At least 670,000 people gathered for the event on Saturday, October 20, organisers claimed.

Protesters told of virtual gridlock on the streets of the capital as Brits travelled from across the country to demonstrate.

People's Vote protesters march on Parliament Square - in Pictures

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The march set off from Park Lane and finished in Parliament Square where celebrities, including Steve Coogan, Delia Smith and Deborah Meaden; and politicians, including Conservative MP Anna Soubry, Labour's Chuka Umunna and Sir Vince, gave speeches.

October 29: Philip Hammond delivers the final Budget before the UK leaves the EU

Chancellor Philip Hammond told MPs that “austerity is finally coming to an end” as he delivered his last Budget speech before Britain is due to leave the European Union.

Philip Hammond as he set out to deliver his final Budget before Brexit
AP

The Chancellor announced an extra £500 million for Brexit contingency planning and hinted that there would be an emergency Budget in Spring.

Here are the key points from Mr Hammond’s Budget speech, including cash injections for defence and schools, cuts to business rates, a freeze on beer and cider duty and spirit duty for the next year and a rise in the National Living Wage.

November 15: Four more ministers resign after Withdrawal Agreement reached with EU

Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigned after UK and EU officials agreed the draft text of a withdrawal agreement after months of negotiations on November 13.

Dominic Raab resigned as Brexit secretary in November
AFP/Getty Images

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey followed an hour later with a personal attack on the PM for accepting a deal that failed to meet “the tests you set from the outset of your premiership”.

Suella Braverman, Brexit Minister at the Department for Exiting the EU was next to go.

While Northern Ireland Minister Shailesh Vara had resigned earlier with a letter protesting that Mrs May’s terms left the “shackles” to the EU in place.

Esther McVey resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary last month (Getty Images)

In a resignation letter, Mr Raab said it was “a matter of trust” and said the deal failed to honour the Government’s manifesto promises to the people.

Earlier in November, transport minister Jo Johnson had resigned from Government over Mrs May’s deal and accused her of offering MPs a choice between “vassalage and chaos”.

Stephen Barclay replaced Mr Raab as Brexit Secretary and Amber Rudd made a shock return to the Cabinet as Work and Pensions Secretary.

December 4: Legal advice on Brexit to be published after Government found to be in contempt of Parliament

The Government was found to be in contempt of the rules of Parliament for not publishing the Attorney General’s full legal advice on Brexit.

Authority: MPs found ministers to be in contempt of Parliament and ordered the publication of the full legal advice on Brexit
Elliot Wagland

A motion tabled by shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer passed with a majority of 18 votes on December 4.

The advice was published the following day. Opposition parties had argued that by not getting the full details of the deal, ministers ignored a Commons vote which called for the full legal advice to be available.

December 10: European Court verdict on whether the UK can cancel Brexit by revoking Article 50

A statement from the Court said: "When a Member State has notified the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the European Union, as the UK has done, that Member state is free to revoke unilaterally that notification."

The court said that a revocation of Article 50 must be decided following a democratic process.

A senior ECJ official had earlier issued a legal opinion stating that the UK can unilaterally revoke its withdrawal from the European Union.

December 12: May survives confidence vote in her leadership after postponing a Commons vote on her Brexit deal

The PM survived a vote of confidence in her leadership in the wake of a major political fallout over a delay to a meaningful vote on her Brexit deal.

Theresa May gives a statement outside No10 after surviving a confidence vote in her leadership
EPA

With 317 MPs taking part in the vote, more than a third of the Conservative party declared that they believe she should go.

The “confidence” vote was triggered after more than 15 per cent of the parliamentary party, at least 48 MPs, wrote to chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady, demanding it took place.

Ministers were furious after Mrs May announced a Commons vote on her Brexit deal scheduled to take place on December 11 was to be “deferred” until January.

The PM has won immunity from any further leadership challenge for another year, but she said that she would not be the Tory contender in the next General Election planned for 2022.

December 14: Theresa May confronts Jean-Claude Juncker in furious stand-off at EU summit

Mrs May was filmed in a furious confrontation with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker at a crunch EU summit in Brussels.

Theresa May face to face with Jean-Claude Juncker

The PM had travelled to the summit in the aftermath of a confidence vote in her leadership to seek concessions on the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

But Mr Juncker told reporters at the summit her demands were “nebulous and imprecise”.

Looking furious, the PM went head-to-head with him in a dramatic exchange at the EU summit centre and protested, “What did you call me? You called me nebulous,” according to two lip-reading experts reported by Channel 5 News.

December 19: Jeremy Corbyn denies calling Theresa May a ‘stupid woman’ after final PMQs of the year

The Labour leader was forced to deny calling the PM a “stupid woman” after the final Prime Minister's Questions of the year descended into a bitter row.

Footage showed Jeremy Corbyn mouthing a remark during exchanges with Mrs May in the Commons.

Stupid woman? Jeremy Corbyn mutters a remark in the Commons
REUTERS

The video footage went viral on social media and the Labour leader was hauled back into the Commons to explain himself.

But Mr Corbyn flatly denied using the sexist phrase, telling MPs: "I referred to those who I believe were seeking to turn a debate about the national crisis facing our country into a pantomime as 'stupid people'.

"I did not use the words 'stupid woman' about the Prime Minister or anyone else, and am completely opposed to the use of sexist or misogynist language in absolutely any form at all."

The row came after Mr Corbyn attempted to table a no confidence motion in Mrs May, which she likened to a pantomime.

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