Editor's note

Three and a half years on from the Brexit vote, the UK is officially leaving the EU at 11pm tonight. Boris Johnson is delivering his promise to “get Brexit done”. But what Brexit actually entails is still up for grabs. The government’s task of negotiating the UK’s future relationship with the EU and other powers now begins in earnest. A survey of the general public reveals that people are split on which trade deals they want to prioritise. While most Leave voters want to put a deal with the US first, overall people think the EU and Canada should be the focus.

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that food is the most important issue on the negotiating table. This probably reflects concerns around importing chlorinated chicken from the US and shortages if there’s a no-deal Brexit. One thing we can be sure of, though, is that the UK’s food connection with Europe will endure after Brexit. Even when England and France were at war in the 18th century, they still traded in a number of dishes. For those wondering what’s next, we’ve got a handy timeline of the Brexit process that lies ahead.

Elsewhere on The Conversation, we’ve got more coverage of what’s going on with the coronavirus, including why China’s containment strategy could prove effective – even if it means quarantining a city of 11 million people. We also find out why one researcher has spent seven months studying toilet graffiti.

Annabel Bligh

Business + Economy Editor

Top stories

Remain voters overwhelmingly prioritise a deal with the EU. Amani A / Shutterstock.com

Post-Brexit trade: public prioritises deal with EU and is most concerned about food

Daniel Keith, University of York; Liisa Talving, University of Tartu; Sofia Vasilopoulou, University of York

How the public ranks different post-Brexit trade partners and which sections of the economy they prioritise.

This is just the beginning of the story. PA/Gareth Fuller

Brexit: here’s what happens next

Simon Usherwood, University of Surrey

It’s rapidly becoming a truism to say that Brexit isn’t done. But what does that actually mean?

Body temperature being checked at the exit of a railway station in Fuyang, Anhui province, China, January 29 2020. AN Ming/EPA

Coronavirus: why China’s strategy to contain the virus might work

Fei Chen, University of Liverpool

China’s strategy to contain the coronavirus just might work because of the way cities and infrastructure have been developed.

The graffiti in the men’s toilets tends to be more competitive while in the women’s it is more supportive. Kostsov/Shutterstock

Toilet graffiti: secrets, support and solidarity in the women’s restroom

Mabel Victoria, Edinburgh Napier University

From crude drawing to advice and support, the scrawlings on toilet walls reveal differing communication patterns between the sexes

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