BRITAIN is preparing to mark an historic moment on Friday night with the UK to leave the European Union when the clock strikes 11pm.

It comes after more than three years of uncertainty following the result of the 2016 referendum on Brexit.

Now that the Government’s Brexit Bill has completed its passage through the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and has received royal assent, the UK will formally leave the EU tomorrow and enter into a transition period.

Some Brexit supporters plan to organise their own parties across the UK and closer to home in Tynedale, but there is expected to be little official pageantry.

A clock counting down the last hour will be projected on to 10, Downing Street, and Nigel Farage will host a celebration in Parliament Square. In Riding Mill, there is expected to be a gathering at the Wellington Hotel.

The transition period is scheduled to end on December 31, meaning that until then everyday life in the UK is expected to remain the same, but a race will begin to secure a trade deal with the EU by the end of the year.

Guy Opperman, MP for Hexham, said: “Since the European referendum result was declared in 2016 I have always been of the view that we must honour the vote and deliver Brexit – it is a fundamental matter of maintaining trust in our democracy.

“On January 31, the Conservative Government will deliver on its election promise – we will have got Brexit done and ended the political gridlock in Westminster. There will still be challenges ahead, but we can work together to build a dynamic UK economy which can compete and grow in an ever changing global market place.”