The UK formally left the European Union (EU) at 23:00 on Friday January 31, 2020, entering an 11-month so-called transition period. Many commentators are already warning, however, that the UK will probably need significantly longer than 11 months to strike a future trade deal with the EU. During the transition, the UK will continue to obey EU rules and pay money to the EU, but will no longer have representatives in the European Parliament or attend EU Summits. Pictured above is the moment when Members of the European Parliament cast their electronic votes on the Brexit withdrawal agreement in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday, January 29, 2020. Photograph: Olivier Matthys for Bloomberg