The British Parliament is set to debate for the first time the government's Bill to trigger the country's departure from the European Union, following a referendum last year in which a majority voted for Brexit. Prime Minister Theresa May said that Britain will leave the EU's single market and seek a new customs deal with the bloc.
Here is an outline of what we know so far:
Referendum
On June 23, 2016, Britons voted to leave the EU by 52% in favour to 48% against, although most voters in Scotland, Northern Ireland and London backed the ‘Remain’ bloc. Britain has had a love-hate relationship with Brussels since joining what was then the European Economic Community in 1973.
Time frame
Cameron's successor Theresa May has said she wants to trigger Article 50 — the formal procedure for leaving the EU under the Lisbon Treaty — by the end of March. Finance Minister Philip Hammond has said he expects negotiations to begin before the summer. Article 50 foresees a maximum two-year time period for the negotiations. If no deal is in place by then, Britain would have to leave without any agreement on future ties with the EU, unless the time frame for talks is extended by unanimous agreement of all member states. The EU's top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said there should be an agreement in place ahead of the 2019 European Parliament elections.
Parliament
Britain's Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that May must receive parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50, and the government last week brought a short draft bill backing her timetable before the House of Commons. Most MPs supported Britain staying in the EU but are expected to back the start of Article 50 talks, although opponents have already tabled amendments that could slow up the process. May has also promised that any final deal on Britain's future relations with the EU would go before both chambers of Parliament for a vote.
Transition deal
In a major speech on January 17 , May said she wanted a "phased approach" to ensure stability for businesses between the moment Britain leaves the EU and the implementation of its new relationship with the bloc. May added that all existing EU laws that apply in Britain will be turned into British laws under a "Great Repeal Bill" and Parliament will then be able to choose which ones to keep, reject or amend.
Immigration
May has said she will make cutting immigration a priority in negotiations, after the issue dominated the referendum campaign. Hundreds of thousands of people, mainly from eastern and southern Europe, move to Britain each year. In her Brexit speech, she gave no detail of what the new entry criteria will be for Europeans, but acknowledged that this demand would mean Britain leaving the EU's single market. May has refused to confirm that EU citizens already in Britain will be able to stay after Brexit until similar guarantees are offered to Britons living elsewhere in the bloc.
What next?
→ MPs are due to spend two days debating the bill, consisting of only two clauses and less than 150 words in total, which was published last week. The European Union Notification of Withdrawal Bill asks Parliament to give the prime minister the power to trigger Article 50.
→ The governing Conservatives have a majority of 16 in the 650-seat lower House of Commons and the draft law is expected to pass, despite five amendments having been tabled.
→ There are also calls to have greater involvement from the devolved Parliaments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland -- the latter two of which voted for Britain to remain in the EU.
→ After the initial debate MPs are due to vote on whether the draft law should proceed, before discussing the amendments over three days from Monday.
→ Once it is cleared by the Parliament, the Bill will move to the upper chamber, the House of Lords, where it will be debated from February 20 and is expected to be approved by March 7.
→ While further amendments could see the draft law bounce back to Parliament for further discussion, politicians are unlikely to derail the government's Brexit plans.
→ If approved by the Lords, the Bill would then have to be signed off by Queen Elizabeth II before May can trigger Article 50.
