The 11 most important people deciding Britain's Brexit fate

LONDON ' Britain is officially leaving the European Union after Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 on Wednesday, starting the two-year formal Brexit negotiation process.Britain is expected to leave no later than March 29, 2019, but it is a long road ahead for both Britain and the remaining 27 EU member states.The EU will spend up to three months preparing for negotiations before they actually get underway and is adamant that the terms of the divorce must be settled before any future trade arrangements are agreed.Britain is expected to pay nearly 50 billion in a divorce deal. But even this figure is contested by the British and almost everything is up in the air. The fate of everything from the UK fishing industry to immigration will be decided in negotiations over the next two years.Here are 11 people at the heart of these talks who will play a defining role in sealing Britain's fate post-Brexit.Michel Barnier ' European Chief Negotiator.Barnier is the EU's most senior Brexit negotiator and will play a crucial role in deciding what the 27-nation bloc is willing to concede in divorce talks. He has warned against Britain walking from negotiations with no deal, saying it is "notwhat we want." You can read Business Insider's full profile of Barnier here.Theresa May ' Prime Minister of Britain.The weight of a nation rests on May's shoulders. The prime minister is expected to make a success of what will be the most complex negotiations faced by a modern British governmentbut just what will constitute success is difficult to say at the moment.Guy Verhofstadt ' European Parliament's top Brexit negotiator and former Belgian prime minister.Verhofstadt speaks for the European Parliament in Brexit negotiations, the elected body of 751 MEPs. Verhofstadt is a vocal Europhile who has made it clear that he will put the Union's interests first in talks with Britain. He has repeatedly taunted Britain over Brexit negotiations on Twitterand floated the idea of Britons applying for individual EU membership post-Brexit. BI interviewed him about Brexit before Christmas.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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