EU Parliament Okays Post-Brexit Trade Deal With UK

The European Parliament has ratified the post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and the European Union. The agreement was passed by 660 votes to five, with 32 lawmakers abstaining.

Calling it the ‘most far reaching agreement’ the EU has ever reached with a third country, David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament assembly, said “this can form the foundation on which we build a new forward-looking EU-UK relationship”.

There was a note of caution as well. MEPs would monitor implementation of the deal and “not accept any backsliding from the UK government”.

The deal will set the tone for Britain’s new relationship with the European Union, five years after British voted to end its 47-year membership of the bloc.