Boris Johnson promises Brexit will be ‘dignified’ and ‘respectful’

Boris Johnson in the House of Commons. Photograph: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA Wire.

Boris Johnson has said that the UK will make a ‘dignified’ exit from the European Union.

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The prime minister said Brexit at 11pm on Friday would be a "moment of hope" for the country.

But with the country still deeply split following the 2016 referendum, Johnson said he would be celebrating in a "respectful" manner.

Answering questions on Facebook, the prime minister said: "What I will be doing is, in common with everybody else, I will be making a dignified exit from the European Union.

"I will be celebrating in a way that I hope is respectful of the scale of the event, that does justice to the astonishing feat that Britain has accomplished but also is mindful of everybody's feelings about what we are doing.

"It is a great moment for our country, it is a moment of hope and opportunity but it is also, I think, a moment for us to come together in a spirit of confidence."

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The prime minister will deliver an "address to the nation" an hour before the UK's departure from the bloc.

Government buildings in Whitehall will be lit up in red, white and blue to celebrate Brexit, while a number of key areas will be festooned with union flags.

There will be a light display, a commemorative 50p coin, while Nigel Farage will hold a celebration in Parliament Square.