Britain will leave EU on Jan. 31, no ifs, no buts

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would leave the European Union on Jan. 31 after his sweeping election win.

“We will get Brexit done on time by the 31st of January, no ifs, no buts, no maybes,” Johnson told cheering supporters on Friday.

Earlier, EU Commissioner for internal markets Thierry Breton said Britain’s post-Brexit phase will start on Feb. 1 as there is now little doubt its parliament will accept Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s deal on withdrawing from the European Union.

“Boris Johnson will have a large majority… It seems logical to consider that (Johnson’s Brexit deal with the EU) will be accepted by parliament, and therefore withdrawal on Jan 31, which means we will be in the post-Brexit phase from Feb. 1,” Breton, a Frenchman, said on French radio RTL.

“The Brexit negotiations are over now. We are now entering a phase of trade talks between Britain and the EU.”