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Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Outcome | The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union (Brexit) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Results by local voting area Leave: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Remain: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 90–100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||
On the map, the darker shades for a colour indicate a larger margin. The electorate of 46.5 million represents 70.8% of the population. |
National and regional referendums held within the United Kingdom and its constituent countries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Part of a series of articles on |
Brexit |
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Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union Glossary of terms |
On 23 June 2016, a referendum took place in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country should remain a member of, or leave, the European Union (EU). The result was to leave, triggering calls to begin the process of the country's withdrawal from the EU commonly termed "Brexit".
Since 1973, the UK had been a member state of the EU and its predecessor the European Economic Community, along with other international bodies. The constitutional implications for the UK became a topic of debate domestically. A referendum on continued membership of the European Communities (EC) to try and settle the issue was held in 1975, resulting in the UK remaining a member.[1] Between 1975 and 2016 as European integration deepened, subsequent EC/EU treaties and agreements were ratified by the UK Parliament. Following the Conservative Party's victory at the 2015 general election as a main manifesto pledge, the legal basis for the EU referendum was established through the European Union Referendum Act 2015. Prime Minister David Cameron also oversaw a renegotiation of the terms of EU membership, intending to implement these changes in the event of a Remain result. The referendum was legally non-binding due to the ancient principle of parliamentary sovereignty, although the government promised to implement the result.[2]
Official campaigning took place between 15 April and 23 June 2016. The official group for remaining in the EU was Britain Stronger in Europe while Vote Leave was the official group endorsing leaving.[3] Other campaign groups, political parties, businesses, trade unions, newspapers and prominent individuals were also involved, with both sides having supporters from across the political spectrum. Parties in favour of remaining included Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party;[4][5][6][7] while the UK Independence Party campaigned in favour of leaving;[8] and the Conservative Party remained neutral.[9] In spite of the Conservative and Labour Party's official positions, both parties allowed their Members of Parliament to publicly campaign for either side of the issue.[10][11] Campaign issues included the costs and benefits of membership for the UK's economy, freedom of movement and migration. Several allegations of unlawful campaigning and Russian interference arose during and after the referendum.
The results recorded 51.9% of the votes cast being in favour of leaving. Most areas of England and Wales had a majority for Leave, and the majority of voters in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Greater London and Gibraltar chose Remain. Voter preference correlated with age, level of education and socioeconomic factors. The causes and reasoning of the Leave result have been the subject of analysis and commentary. Immediately after the result, financial markets reacted negatively worldwide, and Cameron announced that he would resign as prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, which he did in July. The referendum prompted an array of international reactions. Jeremy Corbyn faced a Labour Party leadership challenge as a result of the referendum. In 2017, the UK gave formal notice of intent to withdraw from the EU, with the withdrawal being formalised in 2020.