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Brexit timeline: what’s happened so far and what are the key dates ahead?

As Britain works through divorce talks with the EU, we spell out the key points you need to know

IF you were hoping to see the back of Brexit any time soon, you may be disappointed as negotiations rumble on.

With less than six months to go until Britain gets divorced from the EU, here's our guide to what exactly the process involves.

 Untangling British and EU laws and deals before March 2019 will be tough work
Untangling British and EU laws and deals before March 2019 will be tough workCredit: Banksy/Reuters

When did the Brexit negotiations start and when will they end?

Theresa May signalled the start of Brexit talks on March 29, 2017, when she triggered Article 50.

It is the piece of EU law that sets the rules for a country choosing to leave the Union.

Mrs May's letter to EU Council chief Donald Tusk started the clock ticking on a two-year time limit to complete exit talks.

Brexit negotiations began on June 19, 2017, with David Davis and Michel Barnier meeting to begin the historic talks in Brussels.

In November, Mr Davis announced the date of Brexit will be set in law and we will officially leave the EU at 11pm GMT on March 29, 2019.

But this has been met with strong opposition in parliament, with several Tory backbenchers vowing to oppose the legislation.

They say that nailing down an exact cut-off date could end up leaving Britain worse off.

The government has signalled it will seek a "transition period", with much of the existing arrangements continuing for a limited time after March 2019.

This will allow for detailed talks on a future trade deal - potentially extending Brexit negotiations for years to come.

How do the Brexit negotiations work?

Delegations from the UK and EU meet regularly to thrash out decisions over separating the UK from European institutions and laws.

The UK wanted to negotiate post-Brexit deals at the same time as working through the divorce talks.

But the EU insisted on a different timetable - refusing to discuss trade until a number of issues are settled first.

This so-called phase one includes the Brexit "divorce bill" - how much Britain should pay to honour existing commitments.

The two other main issues are the rights of EU citizens and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Only once the other 27 states decide "sufficient progress" has been made on phase one, can negotiations begin on phase two - the future relationship including a possible trade treaty.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May, the UK side of Brexit negotiations is led by David Davis, Secretary of State or Exiting the European Union.

He is deputised by Sir Tim Barrow, UK Permanent Representative to the EU, while beneath them is an army of civil servants.

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, and Liam Fox, Secretary of State for International Trade, is also be part of the effort to secure post-Brexit trade deals.

The EU delegation is led by Michel Barnier, the European Commission's chief negotiator.

Alongside him is Jean-Claude Juncker, Commission President, Donald Tusk, European Council President, Guy Verhofstadt, European Parliament negotiator and Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament.

MEPs are able to veto the final deal.

What are some of the key issues at stake?

How are Brexit negotiations going?

For months, Michael Barnier and Jean-Claude Juncker said the UK had not offered enough for them to say "sufficient progress" had been made on phase one.

Then on December 4, Theresa May seemed on the brink of agreeing a deal with Brussels on the first stage of Brexit negotiations, allowing talks to move to trade and the future relationship.

The UK reportedly agreed to pay a divorce bill of £44billion, and reached a compromise on the jurisdiction of Euro judges.

One sticking point was the frontier between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland post-Brexit, with all sides keen to avoid the return of a "hard border".

The Chequers plan was constructed in July but has since been called "dead" by many MPs.

Mrs May was left in a race against time to reach a deal in time for a crunch EU summit on December 14.

But the government is now also preparing the country for the possibility of a no deal Brexit.

It is now likely that Brexit date will be pushed back due to a lack of progress in the negotiations.

Here are the key points of the Brexit negotiations so far:

Jean Claude Juncker praises Theresa May for her 'big efforts' in Brexit talks