Seven things we learned about Brexit in 24 hours

With Article 50 now triggered, Brexit has officially begun.

And while the process to leave the EU has been kicked off, we are still finding out more with every interview, press conference and letter.

Here’s a few things we have learned about Brexit over the past 24 hours…

Britons will still live under some EU laws after Brexit

Unveiling his plans for the Great Repeal Bill – the legislation that will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and allow EU laws to take effect as national laws in the UK – David Davis admitted that the EU courts could still hold sway over British lives for some time after Brexit. He told MPs that for as long as any EU derived law remains on the UK statute book, any question as its “will be determined in the UK courts by reference to European Court of Justice case law as it exists on the day we leave the European Union”.

Some people still think Brexit won’t happen

During an interview on Newsnight, Germany’s CDU Foreign Policy spokesman Jurgen Hardt suggested that Brexit could still be reversed. He said: “The number of people in Britain that think the decision was right to leave the EU will go down and down. At the end of the day the British Government has to decide whether they should follow the way or that they should probably follow the change in mood of the British people. I think in every stage of the negotiations, the German government and German politics will say we…will throw away that letter. In my view Article 50 is reversible.”

EU citizens aren’t that worried about Brexit – yet

German newspaper Bild did not even cover Brexit Day on their front page. Editor-in-chief Tanit Kock said that German people were “more worried about Donald Trump” than they were about Britain’s exiting the European Union. She said: “After it [the Brexit vote] happened there was a mixture of regret but also a lack of interest, thinking it was just the British wanting their own way again.”

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Brussels is already unhappy with Theresa May over her security threats

It may only have been day one but EU officials are already fuming with the Prime Minister, who they accuse of trying to blackmail them to get a good Brexit deal. Mrs May suggested she could withdraw co-operation on security issues such as the sharing of DNA, vehicle registration and fingerprints, unless a fair deal was struck. The Article 50 letter warned against the EU trying to damage Britain at such a dangerous time in our history, in the wake of last week’s Westminster terrorist attack. The European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Verhofstadt responded by saying “the security of our citizens is far too important to start a trade-off of one and the other”. Gianni Pittella, the leader of the Socialist bloc in the European parliament, said went further, branding it “blackmail” while Lib Dem leader Tim Farron called it a “blatant threat”.

Angela Merkel has rejected trade talks before they’ve even begun

Mrs May also demanded a trade deal be negotiated alongside the terms of Britain’s departure. But German chancellor Angela Merkel has already shot that plan to pieces. She insisted that divorce talks be finalised before any mention of trade can begin. She told reporters: “The negotiations must first clarify how we will disentangle our interlinked relationship… and only when this question is dealt with, can we, hopefully soon after, begin talking about our future relationship.”

Things may not change straight away in 2019

A leaked EU letter responding to Article 50 suggests there may be a transitional deal for after 2019 that ensures custom controls and barriers on trade are not enforced on day one of Brexit. However, these arrangement would only be in place for a maximum of three years and would “never be a substitute for union membership”.

Britain may not be able negotiate any trade deals over the next two years

The EU is apparently being tough about trade and says they will be no talks about a trade deal with the Europe if Britain attempt to negotiate any free trade deals with other countries while it is still a member of the EU.

Top pic: PA