It was the year the UK was supposed to leave the European Union but 2019 proved just how divisive the issue of Brexit still is for a country looking to reshape its path in the world.

The year started with one of the worst defeats for a sitting government in almost a century, when Theresa May's Brexit deal with the EU was categorically rejected by members of the Parliament.

With 432 out of the 650 lawmakers voting against it, the writing was on the wall for May and her deal. The March 31 deadline for Brexit seemed unachievable and Britain's planned departure was thus pushed back for another six months.

May's dogged determination became a characteristic of her leadership, but unable to win enough support on two further occasions in Parliament, Britain's second female Prime Minister eventually stepped aside in June. She fought back tears as she told the country "I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold." May's leave marks one more Conservative prime minister had been ousted over the issue of Europe.

If May's departure was expected, her successor was someone seemingly destined for the top job. Former London Mayor and chief Brexiteer Boris Johnson replaced May as Prime Minister, betting his premiership on one key pledge – that he'd deliver Brexit. "We're going to fulfil the repeated promises of Parliament to the people and come out of the EU by 31 October, no ifs or buts… Never mind the backstop, the buck stops here," Johnson quipped, in reference to the key Irish backstop issue that had prevented Theresa May's deal winning parliamentary support.

His boisterous charisma was on show from the off, but Johnson soon realised his hands were tied when it came to Brexit thanks to the slim majority his party had in the House of Commons. It was a majority that evaporated soon after when the Prime Minister chose to suspend fellow Conservative members for voting against the government on Brexit.

Exasperated with a string of defeats, he went one further in September when he prorogued (suspended) Parliament for five weeks. It was an unprecedented move that led to plenty of opposition and a legal challenge, which saw the country's Supreme Court rule the move unlawful.

Following a last-minute scramble, Johnson was able to secure a new Brexit deal with the EU on 17 October, with the deadline for Britain's departure looming. But, again, Parliament rejected his plans. Backed into a corner, and facing political deadlock, Johnson called a snap general election which led to the first December vote in the UK since 1923. Oh, and Brexit was pushed back again, for another three months.

The cold, wintry ballot proved to be a political masterstroke for Johnson. His Conservative party defied the polls and secured a majority of 80 MPs in the Commons. An emboldened Johnson wasted no time in promising to see through his campaign slogan to "Get Brexit Done". The morning after his victory, he told supporters: "This election means that getting Brexit done is now the irrefutable, irresistible, unarguable decision of the British people."

Days later, the UK parliament voted to approve Johnson's Brexit deal, setting up the country for a 31 January departure. The two sides will then need to negotiate a free trade deal; in a bold move, Johnson has set a deadline for that "transition period" to end in December 2020. It means Brexit is finally on course to happen next month - but those who have long been following this political saga will have learned that there may still be many more twists and turns left to run. 2020, it's over to you.