What’s in the withdrawal agreement? This 585-page, densely worded and legalistic document is concerned with the terms on which the UK will depart from the bloc. It includes:The Irish backstopPerhaps the document’s most controversial provision is for a so-called backstop — an insurance policy to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland if a free trading agreement cannot be agreed by the end of December 2020. In that scenario, the UK would either have to extend the transition for up to two years or agree to an ongoing customs union with the EU. Both options would stop the UK from implementing the fresh trade deals with new partners around the world which many Conservative MPs see has the great prize of Brexit.

Source: The Times November 26, 2018 00:05 UTC