If all goes well, which it likely won't, the United Kingdom might get to its cherished goal of "Brexit-ting" the European Union (EU) on March 29, 2019.
The often fractious Cabinet of British Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed to support a draft Brexit Withdrawal Agreement after a five-hour meeting at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence.
Thankfully, none of her ministers resigned in protest as was feared earlier one. The backing of May's Cabinet avoided a damaging no-deal Brexit, setting the stage for a much tougher battle to get her deal through Parliament.
No one expects this battle to be easy and this early on, Brexiteers and vociferous opponents of the agreement such as Boris Johnson have said they want nothing to do with it.
Conservative MPs declared they will vote down the agreement. In a letter to Tory MPs, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of Brexit-supporting European Research Group, goaded his colleagues do not support the proposed agreement when it comes to Parliament.
Speaking outside No. 10 after the meeting yesterday evening, May said the Cabinet had held a "long detailed and impassioned debate" on the draft Withdrawal Agreement. They also gravely discussed an outline political declaration on the future relationship between the U.K. and the European Union (EU).
May reiterated her argument the draft Withdrawal Agreement is the best that could be negotiated under these complicated set of events.
The all-important "collective decision" of her Cabinet lays the groundwork for a summit with European Union leaders in Brussels on November 25.
The EU seemed equally pleased with the Withdrawal Agreement. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier declared that "decisive progress" has been made in the talks. This optimistic statement signaled European Council President Donald Tusk to give the green light to a November meeting of EU leaders.
Barnier said the EU and the UK have reached a crucial stage, an important moment in this extraordinary negotiation.
European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom was as upbeat as Barnier. She told media she hopes EU member states will support the new draft Brexit Withdrawal Agreement that May secured among her senior ministers.
Malmstrom said the EU is very sad that the Brits are leaving us. She noted that if May got the government in the U.K. to side with her, that's certainly a positive development.
Asked if the EU will approve the agreement, Malmstrom said, "I certainly hope so."
Malmstrom said the EU welcomes a final Brexit agreement as soon as possible. This, so both sides can start to think about life after Brexit and their future relations.
She pointed out that when the U.K. leaves the European Union, it will have to leave all the trade agreements that exist currently, and negotiate with new partners.
