Brexit revives calls for independence in Scotland LONDON: Britain began an uncertain future outside the EU on Saturday after the country greeted the historic end to almost half a century of EU membership with a mixture of joy and sadness. There were celebrations and tears on Friday as the EU’s often reluctant member became the first to leave an organization set up to forge unity among nations after the horrors of World War II. Little has changed as of Saturday as the UK is now in an 11-month transition period negotiated as part of the divorce. Britons will be able to work in the EU and trade freely — and vice versa — until Dec. 31, although the UK will no longer be represented in the bloc’s institutions. But legally, Britain is out. Prime Minister Boris Johnson — a figurehead in the seismic 2016 referendum vote to leave — held a private party in his Downing Street office with a clock projected on the walls outside counting down the minutes to departure. In an address to the nation, he hailed a “new era of friendly cooperation” acknowledging there could be “bumps in the road ahead” but predicting the country could make it a “stunning success.” “The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning,” he said. However, Brexit has exposed deep divisions in British society and many fear the consequences of ending 47 years of ties with their nearest neighbors. Some pro-Europeans, including many of the 3.6 million EU citizens who have made their lives in Britain, marked the occasion with candlelit gatherings. There was a somber atmosphere among passengers on one of the last ferries to leave the European mainland pre-Brexit and make the 42-km journey across the English Channel. “It’s very depressing what’s happening today,” said Alessio Bortone, an Italian who has lived in Britain for 10 years. Some Britons in southern Spain celebrated but for many pro-Europeans, Friday marked a day they hoped would never come. Meanwhile, Joao Vale de Almeida, the newly named EU ambassador to Britain, said on Twitter he looked forward to “laying the foundations for a solid EU/UK relationship.” Yet Britons appear as divided as they were nearly four years ago, when 52 percent voted to leave and 48 percent voted to remain in the EU. In Scotland, where a majority voted to remain in 2016, Brexit has revived calls for independence. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Scotland will return to the heart of Europe as an independent country — #LeaveALightOnForScotland.” In Northern Ireland — soon to be a new EU frontier — there are fears Brexit could destabilize a hard-won peace after decades of conflict over British rule.