Is Brexit Finished or Still Ongoing?
Understanding what “done” means in the UK–EU split

Five years after the United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU), a common question keeps coming up: Is Brexit finished? Or is it still ongoing? The short answer is that Brexit as a legal and political process has largely concluded — but its effects and some related negotiations are still ongoing in important ways. Understanding the difference between legal completion and ongoing impact helps clarify why different commentators sometimes say opposite things.

What “Finished” Means

When people say Brexit is complete, they usually mean the formal separation process is over — the UK is no longer an EU member, and the main agreements governing the relationship are in place and implemented. In that specific sense:

• The UK officially left the EU on 31 January 2020. That ended membership in EU institutions such as the European Parliament and Council.

• A transition period then ran until 31 December 2020, during which EU rules still applied in the UK while the future relationship was negotiated.

• Most of the core legal basis for the post-Brexit relationship — including trade, cooperation, and governance — is set out in the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which entered into force in 2021.

So, if finished means “the UK is no longer in the EU and has legally settled the basics of the relationship,” the answer is yes — that stage is complete.

Why Brexit Still Feels “Ongoing”

Even though the formal separation steps are done, Brexit continues to evolve in several ways. These are often the areas that lead people to say Brexit is not finished:

1. Implementation and Adjustment of Rules

Many EU and UK laws that applied through EU membership were brought into UK law after Brexit. Over the past few years, the UK has been amending or repealing so-called “retained EU law” — a complex and ongoing legislative process.

That means businesses, regulators, and citizens still feel changes in areas like workers’ rights, environmental standards, and product rules — even if the legal framework exists.

2. Post-Brexit Agreements Still Being Finalised

Although the broad structure of post-Brexit cooperation is agreed, some specific agreements and negotiations are still in progress:

• The EU and UK have been working on linking systems like emissions trading (ETS) and establishing a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regime for food and animals — these deals will further reduce trade frictions once finalised.

• Parts of the Windsor Framework, which adjusts how Northern Ireland works with both the UK and the EU, are still being implemented and have caused debate about practical effects on goods movement.

These negotiations show that while the broad treaty work is done, fine-tuning and additional cooperative agreements continue.

3. Economic and Political Realities Still Shifting

Even five years after Brexit, people — especially businesses — report that the economic impact of the new arrangements is still being felt. Trade patterns, border checks, regulatory divergence, and supply-chain adjustments are ongoing realities that shape British and EU relations.

This is why commentators often say Brexit is “far from done”: the effects are still playing out in real life, not just on paper.

A New Phase: Resetting the Relationship

After years of tension following Brexit, the UK and EU have been moving into a new chapter of cooperation:

• In mid-2025, leaders from both sides agreed a series of deals aimed at reducing trade barriers, improving security cooperation, and deepening ties on areas like defence and youth mobility.

These agreements don’t mean the UK is rejoining the EU or going back on Brexit — but they do show a practical effort to manage the long-term relationship more constructively.

UK politicians involved in these talks have also stated that rejoining the EU is not on the agenda now, and that efforts are about cooperation rather than reversal.

What Brexit Is Not

It’s also important to clarify what Brexit does not mean anymore:

• The UK is not part of the EU’s single market or customs union.

• Freedom of movement between the UK and EU has ended, and travel/work arrangements follow new rules.

• EU institutions no longer have legal authority over the UK’s laws or policies.

Those fundamental changes are permanent under the Withdrawal and Trade Agreements.

So, Is Brexit Finished or Ongoing?

Here’s a clear way to put it:

• Finished (legally and politically): The UK has completed the formal process of leaving the EU. Core treaties defining the new UK–EU relationship are in force, and Brexit is not “in transit” anymore.

• Ongoing (in practice): People, businesses, governments, and institutions are still adjusting to the realities of post-Brexit rules. Further agreements and legal work remain to be done, and how the UK and EU cooperate continues to evolve.

In other words, Brexit the legal event is over — but Brexit the long-term political and economic reality is still unfolding.

Final Thought

When politicians and commentators talk about whether Brexit is “finished,” they’re often talking past each other because they mean different things. Legally, it is done. Economically and socially, its effects are still with us — and will be for many years.

So the best answer is this: Brexit is complete as a formal process, but it continues to shape UK–EU relations and everyday life in ongoing ways.