image

epa07418952 (52/66) A Glasgow City Council employee cleans the streets of Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, 22 February 2019. Brexit can have an impact also on the public sector, as employers, whether that's in terms of changes to UK employment law or to government procurement, are currently subject to EU law. The UK is by far the biggest recipient of foreign investment in the EU. Almost half (46 percent in 2013) of the FDI stock in the UK originates from the EU. Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019, two years after Prime Minister Theresa May invoked Article 50, the mechanism to notify the EU of her country's intention to abandon the member's club after the tightly-contested 2016 referendum. The results of that referendum exposed a divided nation. Leave won, claiming 52 percent of the overall vote. Voters in England and Wales came out in favor of leave, while Scotland and Northern Ireland plumped for remain. It was still unclear on what terms the UK would leave the EU, with lawmakers having rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's initial deal hammered out with the EU, the fruit of years of negotiations. There was also talk of extending the March 29 deadline, which would delay Brexit, as well as the floating of a second referendum, with the opposition Labour Party of Jeremy Corbyn appearing to now throw its weight behind that. Citizens and industries across the UK, including the banking, tourism and farming sectors, and many of whom rely on exporting products or bringing in goods from Europe, will have to adapt in a post-Brexit Britain, whether there is a deal with the EU or not. EPA/ROBERT PERRY ATTENTION: For the full PHOTO ESSAY text please see Advisory Notice epa07418899 , epa07418900